Year 2021: Highlights from Alumni Members

With 2021 coming to an end, some alumni members shared their highlight of the year with Amanda ’17, compiled by Tina ’17.

Mythbusters: Shedding Light on Teaching Myths

What is the most outlandish myth you’ve heard about teaching? Alicia ’14 reached out to the Teach For Malaysia Alumni community to dispel common teaching-related myths.

The Past Presents the Future

No, we are not talking about digging through our history textbooks to learn about the ancient times. The past I’m referring to is YOUR past. Your own personal journey throughout each year. Recalling back the mountains and valleys, and its in-betweens, can help shed more light on the meaning, lessons and accomplishments that each year presents. This would then be the building blocks in which you can use to pave a path for a better future. In a more TFM style term, it’s REFLECTION TIME!

A Different Hari Raya, Gawai Dayak & Pesta Kaamatan

Hari Raya Adilfitri, the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan, is a joyous occasion when friends and family gather together to bond and share a meal together. Whereas East Malaysians celebrate Gawai (Sarawak) and Kaamatan (Sabah), a thanksgiving and harvest festival marking bountiful yields and the planning of future prospects.

This year, however, was a much quieter and cautious celebration amid the Covid-19 pandemic with the recent Movement Control Order, lockdowns and travel bans across the country. We checked in with some of our Alumni to hear how they celebrated the festivities against the backdrop of a pandemic.

Ada Apa Dengan Borneo?

Here in Sabah, we are not the minority and there’s platforms to make our voice heard. Over in Semenanjung, it’s hard for them to be proud of who they are. Anyamanthly interviewed Deborah ’13, Nancy ’17, and Ghazlina ’19 who are the TFM Alumni/Fellow leads for the East Malaysia IDEAS circle, a.k.a Ada Apa Dengan Borneo.