Surmounting all odds for education

Ermah (second left) at the fire site

10 October 2024

By AVV

TONGOD: Ermah Duvus, a 20-year-old student recently lost her home in a fire disaster at Kampung Penangah Tongod.

She is devastated by the occurrence as she lost everything, she owned in it including a precious laptop that she works on. Needless to say, her family lost everything they had as they escaped the disaster with just the clothes on their back.

Ermah shares, "My parents are farmers, which means they have no fixed income. I have one brother and am the youngest of three siblings; my second brother passed away at birth. I attended Sk. Penangah from 2011 to 2016, then moved on to SMKP Penangah for my secondary education from 2017 to 2022. I continued my studies at the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) level from the end of 2022 to early 2024. My favorite subjects during both secondary school and STPM were Communicative Malay Literature and History."

On September 6, 2024, while still in Form 6, she received an offer to enter Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) through online registration at the University Central Unit (UPU). She was hoping that she would be going to that university without much of a glitch.

However, it was not meant to be, as a fire broke out in Kampung Penangah on September 15, razing more than 40 homes to the ground and displacing about 300 people.  

During the fire incident, she was not in the village; instead, she was in Kota Kinabalu. She recounts that harrowing moment, "I received a video call from my mother around 7 pm. What I saw was devastating—she was screaming for help. At that moment, only she and my father were home, and my brother wasn't there to assist. I’m not entirely sure why our house caught fire, especially since it was the farthest from the first house that burned. However, my mother and the other villagers mentioned that the wind was very strong, and the houses in our village were built closely together. As the fire raged, I could do nothing but watch helplessly through the video call with my mother."

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t save any belongings, including my laptop and school supplies that I had not yet used since completing my STPM. A few items were saved, but not many; my mother managed to grab a school bag from my Form 6 days because she knew I wanted to continue my studies, so I could still use that uniform for my time at UNIMAS. The house that my father built with his sweat and money was destroyed. When I returned to the village on September 16, after the fire, all that remained were ashes and a few stilts—everything was gone."

In the wake of this incident, she felt lost and could hardly think straight. "I just wanted to help my parents find money to rebuild our burnt home, and it was hard to leave my parents in the village because the entire event traumatised me. I have been the only child with them for so long, but since I needed to work in Kota Kinabalu while pursuing my studies after STPM, I had to leave them behind.”

“My motivation to continue studying stems from a desire to fulfill my parents' dream of seeing me attend university. My family is not from a high-income background; we work for ourselves, and what happened to us, as well as to our neighbours, has made me incredibly determined to succeed one day.”

“Coincidentally, the course I got into relates to political science, and I believe that by studying this field, I can help my villagers gain better and more comfortable facilities, as the amenities in my village are quite limited, and many areas need assistance."

She expresses her hopes, saying, "I aspire to achieve success at UNIMAS. I aim to succeed so that I can help my parents regain what we lost in the fire and support my family and everyone in my village.”

“Additionally, I want to inspire the youth in my village, particularly the young people in Seri Menanti, Kampung Penangah, to excel despite facing adversities and challenges. I understand how financial concerns can dampen motivation to continue studies, especially with the circumstances my parents face and the recent loss. However, I believe that with determination and support, anyone can pursue knowledge. Ultimately, I hope to assist my village in obtaining better facilities and everything they need, despite being in a rural area."

Meanwhile, the Kinabalu Progressive Organisation (UPKO) Kuamut is assisting Ermah in applying for early education assistance from the Bank Rakyat Foundation (YBR). UPKO Kuamut member Benson Inggam stated that he has helped write a letter to YBR regarding this matter.  He has also informed the Chairman of YBR, Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang, and the General Manager of YBR, Syaiful Rizal Abdul Ghani, about the situation.

He said 30 primary pupils and 40 secondary students were impacted by the recent fire disaster, adding that besides food and household essentials, generous individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) donated stationery, uniforms, bags, and shoes.

He said that as he is from Kampung Penangah and was educated in both Primary and Secondary school there, he empathised with the fire victims and opined that proper relocation with a proper plan is needed.

The houses should be built with safety measures such as proper distance, with a fire extinguisher in every house, educating and training the people on how to fight a fire, and installing sufficient ‘bomba’ pipes (water hydrants) in high-risk areas.

On Ermah’s quest for further studies, he said, “Education is a powerful tool for eradicating poverty and improving living standards. I am fortunate to pursue my degree at a local university and later continue my studies in England for a second degree. This inspires me to support Ermah, a brilliant student who deserves the same opportunities and is determined to overcome challenges. We should help her achieve her goals.”