Orangutan Festival
Donation protected
The 15 Fulbright Malaysia English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) of Sarawak are hosting the first statewide arts and music festival for 350+ low income public secondary school students (13-18 years old), called the Orangutan Festival. This English program is sponsored by the US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)...
...and we need your help to make it possible! In order to provide all food, transportation, and supplies for the Festival at zero cost to the students, we are seeking $3000 in funding.
What is this? Our festival is structured after Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), a world-renowned folk and traditional music festival that takes place every year in Kuching, Sarawak. Similar to the RWMF, the Orangutan Festival will feature workshops that are led by American Fulbrighters who have been working with these students all year as their English teachers, Fulbright Malaysia staff, and the students themselves. Workshops will allow students to learn skills such as guitar, piano, sculpture, charcoal drawing, musical theatre, screenwriting, beatboxing, a variety of traditional and modern dances, and more. These workshops aim to expose students to new ideas and training otherwise out of reach to them in their remote communities. In addition to workshops, students from each of the 15 schools will perform to share their talent and unique cultural heritage with the broader audience.
Where is this? University of Sarawak - UNIMAS just outside Kuching, Malaysia
When is this? Saturday September 30, 2017
Who is involved? We plan to host a weekend camp with over 400 individuals involved, including students, teachers, ETAs, our sponsors, and students and staff of UNIMAS.
Why are we doing this? We want to encourage an environment where our students can be creative and practice their English outside the classroom. The Orangutan Festival will allow students to engage with their peers throughout the region from diverse ethnic backgrounds and engage with other American ETAs, a rare opportunity for many students who live in remote parts of our corner of Borneo. The Orangutan Festival allows students to go outside their comfort zones and express themselves by learning new skills and engaging with a diverse group of people!
Why should you care? Our target populations for the Orangutan Festival are students in underserved public secondary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. ETAs are placed throughout the state mostly in rural areas, outside the major city where most students do not have the means to attend big arts and music themed events or do not have access to resources to learn about these forms of the arts. This is a rare opportunity for our students to increase their interest, proficiency, and confidence in English, all while celebrating the arts and music that makes this area of Borneo unique.
A US dollar will go a long way ($1 USD is about RM 4):
$1 (RM 4) will provide a student with a lanyard and nametag
$2.50 (RM 10) will sponsor a student’s meal
$5 (RM 22) will provide transport to and from the camp for one student
$10 (RM 40) will sponsor all 4 meals for a student
$15 (RM 64) will sponsor a student for the entire event
If you donate $5 or more you will receive a video from the students thanking you for your support. If you donate $20 USD or more, you will receive a personal thank you note signed by many students at the festival. If you donate $50 USD or more, you will receive an official festival t-shirt and a personal thank you note.
Thank you for your support! Every little donation counts to making this awesome festival a reality for these students!
...and we need your help to make it possible! In order to provide all food, transportation, and supplies for the Festival at zero cost to the students, we are seeking $3000 in funding.
What is this? Our festival is structured after Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), a world-renowned folk and traditional music festival that takes place every year in Kuching, Sarawak. Similar to the RWMF, the Orangutan Festival will feature workshops that are led by American Fulbrighters who have been working with these students all year as their English teachers, Fulbright Malaysia staff, and the students themselves. Workshops will allow students to learn skills such as guitar, piano, sculpture, charcoal drawing, musical theatre, screenwriting, beatboxing, a variety of traditional and modern dances, and more. These workshops aim to expose students to new ideas and training otherwise out of reach to them in their remote communities. In addition to workshops, students from each of the 15 schools will perform to share their talent and unique cultural heritage with the broader audience.
Where is this? University of Sarawak - UNIMAS just outside Kuching, Malaysia
When is this? Saturday September 30, 2017
Who is involved? We plan to host a weekend camp with over 400 individuals involved, including students, teachers, ETAs, our sponsors, and students and staff of UNIMAS.
Why are we doing this? We want to encourage an environment where our students can be creative and practice their English outside the classroom. The Orangutan Festival will allow students to engage with their peers throughout the region from diverse ethnic backgrounds and engage with other American ETAs, a rare opportunity for many students who live in remote parts of our corner of Borneo. The Orangutan Festival allows students to go outside their comfort zones and express themselves by learning new skills and engaging with a diverse group of people!
Why should you care? Our target populations for the Orangutan Festival are students in underserved public secondary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. ETAs are placed throughout the state mostly in rural areas, outside the major city where most students do not have the means to attend big arts and music themed events or do not have access to resources to learn about these forms of the arts. This is a rare opportunity for our students to increase their interest, proficiency, and confidence in English, all while celebrating the arts and music that makes this area of Borneo unique.
A US dollar will go a long way ($1 USD is about RM 4):
$1 (RM 4) will provide a student with a lanyard and nametag
$2.50 (RM 10) will sponsor a student’s meal
$5 (RM 22) will provide transport to and from the camp for one student
$10 (RM 40) will sponsor all 4 meals for a student
$15 (RM 64) will sponsor a student for the entire event
If you donate $5 or more you will receive a video from the students thanking you for your support. If you donate $20 USD or more, you will receive a personal thank you note signed by many students at the festival. If you donate $50 USD or more, you will receive an official festival t-shirt and a personal thank you note.
Thank you for your support! Every little donation counts to making this awesome festival a reality for these students!
Organizer
Josephine Adamski
Organizer
Strafford, VT
