Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

SOME awards are hard won. Here, you are looking at one. Out of 432 nominations, six were short-listed, the winner fell on Dr Anne Kathryn Rivai – who received “The Most Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia Merdeka Award” – the only individual winner from Sabah since the award was founded 17 years ago.     

No doubt she is New Zealander, but her heart is Sabahan, being married to local, Zainal Rivai, and embraced Sabah as her own.

Dr Kathryn has never looked back since.

A dedicated educationist at heart, she decided to make Sabah home since 1977 when she started teaching geography at SM La Salle, Tanjung Aru, where she taught from 1978 until 1981.

Between 1982 and 1984, she volunteered parttime at Sri Mengasih, also in Tanjung Aru – a school for special children.

She later joined Maktab Nasional where she became deputy principal in 1995 and then Acting Principal in 1996 after teaching there for several years.

With a strong liking and flair for establishing schools, she founded Datuk Simon Fung primary School and went on the set up two private schools of repute – SM Seri Insan in 1997 and later SRS Seri Insan.      

Liked by all her students, she is dedicated to the education of Malaysian children.

This zeal in education set the stage for her life-long mission to improve the education for all children in Sabah.      

Etania – after life-altering encounter 

Come 2009, a life-altering encounter opened her eyes.      

A request from a timber mill in Keningau and a plantation in Beluran to start a school each exposed her to the harsh reality faced by many children in Sabah – the marginalised, deprived of basic opportunity to education who were poor and just loitering around doing nothing, and grow up as future trouble-makers for society bad for Sabah.   

This scary scenario led to a resolve to establish Etania Schools in 2009 dedicated to the deprived purely due to circumstances.

Etania Schools have since become a beacon of hope for marginalised children in Sabah. 

Beholden as a Beacon of Hope, Etania Schools, was formally registered under the Persatuan Pendidikan Kanak-Kanak Matakana Sabah by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).  

For nearly 15 years, Dr Kathryn has tirelessly worked to provide quality education to these children, many of whom live in palm oil plantations and rural areas, not for anything else but to ensure they become a positive force who add value to social order rather than a liability.

With 14 schools under the Etania umbrella, over 1,000 students aged five to 13 have benefited from the education and life skills training provided. 

Stress on essential living skills

She pioneered a unique curriculum at Etania, emphasising academics, life values, and essential living skills. 

This approach ensures that students are well-equipped to contribute effectively to society, fostering a sense of responsibility, leadership, independence, and empathy. 

According to the Merdeka Award Trust which picked her as the winner from Sabah, the impact of this curriculum is evident, with over 10 students having graduated from university by 2023, and many others succeeding in various vocation.

And, by the way, the Royal Patron of the Merdeka Award Trust is the well-liked Sultan of Perak Nazrin Shah.     

Dr Kathryn Rivai receiving the Merdeka Award from Patron of Merdeka Award Trust, Sultan Nazrin Shah.

According to the Trust’s citation, Dr Kathryn’s strategic approach to fostering partnerships with community members, local and international organisations has broadened Etania’s impact and enhanced the quality of education provided. 

Collaborations with entities like Unicef and Me.Reka are credited to have introduced valuable digital skills training to Etania students since 2018, including computer literacy, coding, and robotics.

These skills open up new income opportunities for students, including remote work and employment at community computer centres, Merdeka Trust Award Trust cited.

Started also is a new life skills centre in Kota Kinabalu in mid-2024.

This centre offers programmes that emphasise skills training, including computer skills, sewing, baking, electronics, and business skills. 

The centre will serve not only Etania alumni but also graduates from other learning centres, preparing them for future occupations and ensuring they have the skills necessary to succeed in their chosen fields.

Addressing socio-economic challenges, understanding the socio-economic challenges faced by marginalised communities, Dr Kathryn expanded her focus to include vocational training, aiming to enhance livelihoods and foster self-reliance. 

Model Vegetable Farm 

One of the interesting initiatives under her leadership is the Model Vegetable Farm project, launched in 2020. 

This project, involving 60 families across three schools, provided training to Etania students on starting and maintaining organic vegetable farms. 

Etania vegetable project – part of the living skills project.

Hydroponic vegetable farm in Etania, Beaufort. Introducing a sustainable way to produce food among the students.

The initiative has since expanded to include fish farms, benefiting even more families and helping them sustain themselves during challenging times, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. International recognition

Achievements and international recognition under Dr Kathryn’s leadership, Etania Schools have gained international recognition for their contributions to education. 

In 2020, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Malaysia Chapter honoured Etania Schools with the Sustainable Development Award, specifically recognising their contributions to SDG 4 (Quality Education). 

They also received the ‘Best of the Best’ Overall Award for their educational programmes targeting marginalised communities. 

Etania Schools also received the Singapore President Award in 2020 for the sustainable design of the Etania Green School, a project that houses over 350 students in Beaufort, Sabah. 

Constructed in collaboration with Singapore-based NGO Billion Bricks, the school’s environmentally friendly design, using recycled shipping containers and timber, has been recognized as a model for serving other underserved communities. 

Gunning well-trained educators 

Championing Teacher Training in recognition of the importance of well-trained educators, Dr Kathryn established the Coalition of Learning Centres Sabah in 2015. 

According to Merdeka Award Trust, this initiative has successfully implemented annual cost-free training programmes for educators, equipping them with the resources needed to address the psychological impact of marginalisation on students. 

These programmes have trained hundreds of educators, including 70 in early 2024 alone, ensuring that the next generation of teachers is well-prepared to meet the needs of their students. 

In a group photo with some of the participants at a training programme.

Another innovative project is the Aquaponics Programme, launched in 2023 with sponsorship from Calls Over Ridges, a Taiwanese NGO. 

This programme teaches children sustainable farming methods, ensuring food security for their families in the face of increasing water scarcity and rising temperatures in Sabah. 

The Etania Sewing Programme, launched during the pandemic, has also empowered women by providing them with the skills to generate extra income through sewing, benefiting 30 families across two schools, with plans to expand further. 

Marginalised include locals  

In the opinion of Merdeka Trust, Dr Kathryn Anne Rivai has dedicated most of her life to serving the children of Malaysia, regardless of race, age, or creed. 

Marginalised children include locals, she says. 

She is, thus, deserving of the Merdeka Award under the Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia category, as her work continues to inspire and create lasting change in the lives of countless children.

“We have many challenges in the work we do now but I find the hardest and upsetting issue is when some people treat these marginalised children and their families with disdain and relegate them to the lowest ranking in society.” 

“I think a re-education is needed in our society to issues like; what is humanity.”  

“One challenge is to equip our students with skills so they can provide for their families in the future and breaking the cycle of poverty.

“The challenge has not fully been overcome. In our learning centres we focus on setting examples for the children of becoming a good person with good values contributing to society.” 

Encourage responsibility 

“We encourage responsibility for one’s own life, leadership and independence and empathy for others who are struggling in their lives.

“Life skills like this occupy about 1/3 of our curriculum activities. Academic programmes occupy another 1/3 and 1/3 is devoted to life skills training.

On one accomplishment that she is most proud of.  

Kathryn cited several awards for Etania over the years from both national and international sources – organisations and governments alike.

“Yet, what I am most proud of is the way the students who have come from such a difficult background and face seemingly unsurmountable challenges, have withstood and with determination and grit have achieved great things.

“I am proud of their achievements; going onto further studies; setting up businesses; acquiring good jobs and most of all becoming good people assisting in community development.’

Personal philosophy  

On her personal philosophy, she said: “Equity for al l- in everything including children.

“Children must have access to a happy and fulfilling childhood the same as any child in the world.

“Every child must have the love, protection and care of a family and society.

“They must have opportunities to explore the world and find a career, they must have access to education, health care and nutritious food.

“My philosophy then is children are our future, let’s give each one equal opportunity to succeed. 

“Being an academician, I used to be entirely focussed on a determined curriculum but over time I have learnt that preparation and learning for life is so much more relevant to our society today.”  

“We need to educate our children and their families for skills to survive, skills to find their way through the labyrinth of the job market, how to work together, study smartly, be flexible and adaptable to future developments.” 

On how can marginalised communities sustain themselves, Dr Kathryn said handouts do not have sustainability.

“We must think together for ways we can educate each of our families to take responsibility for their individual and collective lives.”

‘Just Do It’

On her favourite quote she lives by, she said: “Just Do It” as in Nike. 

“If something needs doing then just do it for the benefit of the children and the school.” 

“I don’t like wasting time, get the job done now. In my kind of work if we idle our time in implementing projects the children lose out.

“Too many repetitive meetings and talking simply loses precious time and we cannot predict how this loss affects our students.

“Many people tell me not to work with the marginalised, just let them be.

“But if we don’t help them, who will? There will be societal problems if a huge number people are left behind with no education and no way of earning a living.

“We must be fair and have equity amongst all human beings no matter their background. I guess another favourite quote for me is ‘equity for all’.

“The only differences amongst us are man-made. This has to change. We have to view humanity as one.”