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| INTRODUCTION |
 People
read about it in the newspaper, people talk about it in many places;
but how much do you know about it - The Asrama Butitin, Nabawan?
In
a nutshell, it is a hostel complex consisting of nine buildings
of various sizes, two games courts and two fish ponds. Construction
of the project started in early 1999, completed 12 months later
and occupied some three months after that. The official opening
took place on 27th April 2002.
It
all started when Brother Peter Phelan saw in 1991 the acute urgency
to provide living accomodation for good but poor and needy village
students studying in Nabawan to give them a better chance to success
in life.
(Introduction
adopted from La Salle Sacred Heart Alumni 41st Annual Dinner Souvenir
book, written by Datuk Terence Chong) |
| MISSION
STATEMENT
|
 The
boarders in Asrama Butitin, Nabawan will be encourage and assisted
to change their negative attitudes towards human development (which
is prevalent among the youth of Nabawan district) to positive attitudes.
They will be helped to appreciate the value of being pro-active
as against being re-active. They will become models for the youth
of the whole community.
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| PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
|
 Asrama
Butitin Committee was formed in November 1998 for the purpose of
building the hostel. This comittee is under the umbrella of the
Association of Ex-Students of La Salle and Sacred Heart, Kota Kinabalu.
The
foundation stone for Asrama Butitin was laid by Tan Sri Datuk Seri
Panglima Bernard Dompok, the then Chief Minister of Sabah on 23rd
January 1999. On that occasion, the Chief Minister presented a grant
from the state government of RM500,000. This amount to 37% of the
contract sum for building the hostel (excluding furnishing)
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| RATIONALE |
 Because
of the scarcity of school, especially secondary schools, the homes
of many students are far from school. Because of inadequate transport
facilities, communication is uncertain and difficult. Consequently,
it is not possible for many students to travel to school each day.
Many
students drop out of school and at least some have potential. One
of the reasons is lack of encouragement. The failure rate is high.
Having failed, students drift back to their village. Even those
who pass their examinations are unaware of the opportunities open
to them or are too timid to seek training or employement away from
their own area. This is where encouragement and guidance can be
of help. It does not mean that the young people will be lost to
their own area forever;, when they have received professional training
they can return to help their own people raise their standard of
living.
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| GOAL |
This
hostel is to provide students from remote areas with conditions
and environment where they can develop their potential both mentally
and physically.
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| OBJECTIVES |
 To
instill in these students confidence in themselves and in their
abilities.- To encourage
them to overcome feeling of timidity and shyness towards people
in areas of the country that are more developed.
- To help them
to set targets for themselves and to follow through on these targets.
- To help them
become exposed to people and conditions in more advanced area
of the country.
- To help them
aim at certain professions that will be suitable for their ability.
- To help them
become happy and productive members of their society.
- To instill
among them an interest in study.
- To help them
to achieve greater success in examination results.
- To help them
to set a high standard and example for others to follow.
- To promote
faith formation of the boarders.
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| HOSTEL
LIFE |
 The
boarders receive three meals each day. To food bill per boarder
per month averages between RM 50.00 and RM 60.00. At present, the
boarders are asked to pay RM 10.00 per month and the rest is subsidised
by the La Salle Brothers and by donations. The boarders receive tuition each
day and encouragement and assistance in their studies. Study period
are supervised by a member of the staff. At least one member of
the staff is available to the boarders at all times.
In the time table there is one hour
each week-day allocated to manual work. Through this exercise the
Boarders get practical experience in horticulture, vegetable growing,
fruits farming and fish-rearing.
 Because
of the physical, historical and social conditions of the area the
students in general lack motivation, ambition and consistency. The
hostel is helping its boarders to overcome these disadvantages.
Guidance and counselling is provided form both an individual and
group approach
Spiritual guidance is also provided
in various activities such as religious instruction, prayer, recollection,
scripture and studies .
Ideally a boarder would stay in
the hostel for a period of five years. Experiences has shown that
boarders who enter the hostel at the impressionable age of 12 more
readily adapt themselves to a regular routine and inculcate in themselves
traits of faithfulness and loyalty. Those who, in the past, were
admitted at a later stage were less amendable to adaptation and
commitment.
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| ADMINISTRATION |
When
the Building Committee (known as Asrama Butitin Committee) has completed
its task and furnishing the new hostel, it will be replace by an
administrative body to be known as “Asrama Butitin Board of
Management”. Already plans are in progress to set to set up
a Trust Fund to take care of the running and recurring expenses
of the hostel. A Sub-committee is endeavoring to obtain government
Tax Exemption status too be applied to any donations to the hostel.
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| STAFF |
Brother
Peter Richard Phelan (Full time)
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Brother
Jaikul Egbertus Bin Severinus (Full time)
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Ms Christie
Banor (Part time)
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Ms Radiah
Maih (Part time)
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| EVALUATION |
 The
success of this project will be evaluated by considering:
a) the growth in human development of the boarders
b) Their success in studies
c) Their later involvement in gainful employment
d) Their contribution to community development
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