RCE Exhibition 2023

Week 4: RCE Exhibition

The 13th Global RCE Conference was held in a hybrid format from 31 October - 2 November 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting was jointly hosted by RCE Greater Gombak and RCE Greater Kuala Lumpur under the theme 'Whole Community Approach for ESD'.

Promoting greater acceptance and participation of the community, the conference served as an opportunity for participants to collectively explore, share, and strengthen the knowledge, skills, and network to strengthen capacities and actions necessary to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

One of the sharing sessions was by Cikgu Siti Rahayu Baharin, or Cikgu Rahayu, one of the co-founders of Buku Jalanan Chow Kit, an NGO that is working to provide equal education opportunities to all the children in the Chow Kit catchment area.

Chow Kit has a reputation for being a seedy neighborhood, though it’s been gentrified in recent years with new hotels, office blocks, and malls. But the fruits of this development don’t seem to be trickling down to the people who live there. Many are in poverty, with entire families dwelling in a single room.

This is where BJCK comes in. While the stateless children attend their classes, the Malaysian children would come in after school. There are tables, chairs, sofas, beanbags, and air-conditioning, not to mention banter and affection from the staff and volunteers. There’s a bathroom to shower in, plenty of books to read and there’s usually some food as well.

The program started on the streets, three years ago. Along with her volunteers, Siti Rahayu would lay down mats in an empty space behind a shop lot, bringing with her books, torchlights, and whiteboards and giving classes to local children twice a week. The expansion of BJCK to now have its own school; a safe space and a resource center where the children of Chow Kit can have a safe and stimulating refuge to play, hang around, read, and interact with positive role models is ultimately inspiring and heart-wrenching.

This sharing session is significant, considering that the previous pandemic has affected the education of many children, particularly those from underserved communities. Yet, even before that, many stateless children have been affected by this inequal proportion of social status and hierarchy. The important works by NGOs like Buku Jalanan Chow Kit are the ones that address these challenges and issues of poverty, unequal education, etc. 

Overall, I acknowledge that engaging in cultural and educational experiences like the exhibition can not only broaden our horizons but also educate us about the needs and struggles of those around us. They can help us become more compassionate and aware citizens, and encourage us to take action to address the challenges we face both locally and globally. It was a very valuable opportunity for me to learn about the important work of Buku Jalanan Chow Kit and the impact that NGOs like them can have on the education of underserved communities.

RCE Exhibition at ICC, IIUM

Buku Jalanan Chow Kit Sharing session

Buku Jalanan Chow Kit Sharing session