Teacher Carried Fridge For 8 Hours Through A Jungle For His Students In Rural Hostel
He said that the only way to the primary school was on foot.
By May Vin Ang
A teacher recently went viral for readily carrying a 40kg refrigerator through a jungle in Penampang after he heard that students at his rural school's hostel needed one
The teacher, Harry Yanto Bikal, known affectionately as Cikgu Harry, made the journey last month for the convenience of the nine students living at the hostel of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Longkogungan, Penampang in Sabah.
His difficult trip was shared by another one of the school's teachers who thanked him profusely for the kind deed.
The video of him tracking through the jungle, rivers, and even a rickety bridge, has been viewed over 200,000 times and has drawn countless praise from netizens.
It was revealed that it took him about eight hours to travel 10km from the town of Donggonggon, where he bought the fridge, to the school
Located well inland between the two provinces of Penampang and Tambunan, Cikgu Harry told Harian Metro in an interview that the only way to SK Longkogungan was on foot.
"The only way to the school is through the hilly jungles and a few rivers, which is why no other way of transport can reach it," he explained.
Cikgu Harry carrying the refrigerator in its box (left), and occasionally carrying supplies for the hostel students on the weekends (right).
Image via Harian MetroThere are a total of 11 students in the primary school
Out of which, nine of the students stay in the hostel because their homes are too far from the rural school.
Cikgu Harry said that he always brings them additional supplies and groceries from Donggonggon when he visits the town on the weekends.
According to him, the refrigerator was a contribution to the hostel by all of the school teachers
They wanted to make sure that food the students needed frequently such as chicken, fish, and vegetables could last longer than a day.
"This has been planned for a long time because it isn't easy to carry a fridge with no road access for vehicles," Cikgu Harry told Harian Metro.
"But this has not broke our spirits to provide the best for the students," said the teacher who has taught there for two years.
After knowing that the video went viral, he thanked the Sabah state assembly and a few other non-governmental organisation who have reached out to offer help.
Finally, he also hoped that those responsible could build a road to allow cars to reach the school in the future.
Netizens poured into the comments section to give Cikgu Harry a thumbs up and their blessings for his kind heart
"I'm so touched by the sacrifices made by this teacher for the education of our country's children," said a Facebook user.
While another said, "Strong and patient. An educator that prioritises the passing on of knowlege to the students. Congratulations and I hope you continue your journey."
This user said, "This teacher is the best. He deserves to receive the Dedicated Rural Teacher Award."
To which one of SK Longkogungan's teachers replied, "He has already received the award last year for the province of Penampang. Other schools have suggested and supported him too."
