Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares)

Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre

The "Digital Stories to advocate for and to improve Orang Asli education experience" project, a UMCares Grant initiative led by Senior Lecturer Rusaslina Idrus from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Addressing a critical gap in educational delivery for the Orang Asli community across Peninsular Malaysia, this project leveraged digital storytelling to empower youth and foster dialogue around their unique schooling challenges.

The core objective was to utilize digital stories as a powerful medium for awareness and discussion, enabling Orang Asli youth to voice their experiences and aspirations. Beyond empowerment, the project aimed to compile vital information on scholarships for school leavers and collaborate on an anti-bullying module.

The impact has been transformative and far-reaching. The project successfully equipped community members with digital stories and a complementary book for advocacy, with trained youth leaders now independently facilitating screenings and discussions. It significantly boosted youth confidence and empowerment, ensuring their narratives are heard. Reaching hundreds of participants, including community members, NGOs, and university students, the initiative has broadened awareness of Orang Asli educational issues and engaged key stakeholders. Furthermore, an updated website provides accessible educational resources, and the project culminated in the publication of a significant volume, Kami pun ada hak bersekolah: Wanita Orang Asli bersuara. Future plans include developing teacher training modules and expanding outreach, with the project's work already recognized by the Ministry of Education. This initiative exemplifies a powerful approach to community-led change and advocacy through narrative.

PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Execution: 8 Months

Location: All over peninsular Malaysia

Target Community: Orang Asli, students and educators

Number of Community benifited: 530 students
Stakeholders: Canadian High Commission & Freedom Film Network

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Objectives of the Project

To utilize digital stories as a tool to raise awareness and foster discussions on the challenges in Orang Asli education.
To empower Orang Asli youth to confidently share their stories and have their voices heard.
To compile information on scholarships and other forms of support for school leavers.
To collaborate with NGOs to create an anti-bullying module for schools

Impact of the Project

The project's outcomes have been highly impactful and are transforming the community's engagement with education. Participants gained a sense of empowerment and confidence after having their stories heard. The project's reach was extensive, involving 400 people from the targeted communities, 70 NGO partners, and 60 university students.
- Empowerment through Advocacy: Community members can now use the digital stories and a book as powerful tools for advocacy. Youth leaders who were trained through the project are now able to lead screenings and discussions on their own.
- Increased Awareness: Screenings of the digital stories, held in villages and schools, reached a larger audience and informed them about the issues facing the Orang Asli community. A showcase featuring the participants' creative expressions, such as acting and dancing, also helped to spread the message and included key stakeholders like an Orang Asli Senator.
- Educational Resources: An updated website was made available to teachers and educators so they could access and download the materials for their own use. The project also resulted in the publication of an edited volume titled Kami pun ada hak bersekolah: Wanita Orang Asli bersuara in February 2019.
- Positive Community Feedback: Community members expressed their satisfaction with the project and requested for it to be continued. The youth participants reported feeling confident and happy that their voices were finally being heard

Digital Stories: Empowering the Orang Asli Community