Children of Kulapuan - out of sight, out of mind

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Pulau Kulapuan is just an hour by boat from our world famous Sipadan and Mabul islands. To go to Kulapuan, you could get a boat from Semporna and reach the island in 1 - 2 hours (depending on the type of boat that you use). There are no hotels or resorts on Kulapuan. It is just a village of about 1000 people, out of which probably 600 - 700 are children. It is an island that is out of sight, out of mind to most Malaysians.

None of the children go to school. There is no school on the island. The nearest schools are too far away on other islands and these people simply cannot afford to send their children. Entire generations have grown up without knowing how to read or write. 

When you are a toddler, you can play and play. There is no kindergarten, no preschool or nursery to teach you anything.

When you are littler bigger, there is still nothing to do. No school, no nothing. Just hang out and loiter in the village.

Then you learn how to gamble.

After all,all the adults in the village gamble too. There is not much to do anyway. The local gambling den.

Since there is no school or anything useful to do, you can always get into a boat and row around aimlessly or beg money from tourists.

When no one cares, you can always walk around aimlessly

Of course, sometimes there is work to do. Like getting water form the well. The drinking water source on the island. [and you people in Selangor think that you have a water supply problem?]

Finally, you can always return to your home after a hard day of loitering and gambling. This is what all the children do on this island.

Trek for a Cause aims to help children in Kulapuan and the surrounding islands get a decent education.