"It wasn't easy, but my efforts have paid off," says Fenytinytha, known as Feny for short. The young woman has been working as a dentist in a clinic in the Malaysian state of Sabah since 2018. For an indigenous Christian woman from a poor rural village, this is a rarity. Many girls in rural areas are even denied the opportunity to finish school. The central government in Kuala Lumpur neglects the indigenous population in the countryside and offers hardly any school structures. Poverty is also high, with the state of Sabah in Malaysia having the largest proportion of people living below the poverty line.
Christian women under pressure
Malaysia is a country of cultural diversity. More than 200 ethnic groups live on the island of Borneo. A small group are the Rungus, to which Feny also belongs. While the majority of the Malaysian population is of Muslim faith, the Rungus are mostly of Christian faith. Christians are coming under increasing pressure and discrimination in Malaysia. Religious affiliation is recorded in the passport. While Christians are encouraged to convert to Islam, Muslims who want to convert to Christianity must go through an elaborate Sharia court procedure. This involves several months of forced residence in a so-called rehabilitation camp. There, people are to be prevented from converting. The Rungus are therefore discriminated against in several ways - as an oppressed religious group and ethnic minority.
Feny had hope despite her social disadvantage. She never gave up on her dreams, drawing strength from her faith. She says, "God helps you in your sincere pursuit of a positive future." Fenny's parents gave their all to provide a good education for their six children. But her father earns little as a pastor of the Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS). The partner church of Mission 21 works in rural, poor areas of Sabah and therefore has little money available. Despite the difficult financial situation, the family was able to pay for the first three years of study with difficulty. But after that, it looked like Feny would have to abandon her studies. The semester fees far exceeded the family's financial means, and in addition Feny had to live in the city during her studies, which caused further costs.
Education breaks the cycle of poverty
The Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS) was able to help in this emergency with a scholarship. Together with Mission 21, the PCS and other partner organizations are involved in the "Vocational Training for Disadvantaged Children and Youth" project. The project supports children and young people at various levels of schooling and training and pursues the goal of ensuring that all people have access to education - irrespective of the ethnic or religious group to which they belong. In addition to Sabah, the project also covers the two poorest regions of Indonesia, Kalimantan and Papua. Children from the poorest and most remote regions only have a chance of a better life if they can get an education. Mission 21 therefore supports school dormitories, because otherwise the children would have to travel long distances to go to school. In a second step, scholarships are awarded to disadvantaged young people so that they can receive vocational training. The scholarships lead to better prospects so that those affected can find a job and break out of the poverty spiral. With Feny, 14 other scholarship recipients completed their training. Like her, some found jobs in the healthcare sector, while others are employed in churches, schools, ministries or the private sector. 430 children and youth were supported with scholarships in 2017 in total. Feny says, "It's incredibly important to support girls, like I was one, with scholarships." Their advancement is a particular focus of the project, because women and girls have a hard time in Malaysia. Feny wants a self-determined life for herself and other women. Families often invest less in girls' education, so many women remain financially dependent on their families or husbands for life. They are at risk of falling victim to human trafficking and are often forcibly married or subjected to family violence. Vocational training enables the young women to stand on their own in life. This strengthens their position in society. They are less likely to be forcibly married as minors. Their education also helps them to know their rights and actively fight discrimination.
Fenny's success radiates to the whole family
Thanks to the support Feny has received from the church, she is now able to give something back to her family. She doesn't earn much at the state dental clinic, but her salary helps to supplement the tight family budget. She can also bridge emergency situations with reserves she has now saved. "My patience and full attention to my studies have paid off," Feny says happily. "The fact that I was able to successfully complete my studies not only made me happy, but also made my family smile!"
Text: Eva Sidler, Communication Team
