Sekolah Semangat Maju Sitiawan

Established in 1991, Sekolah Semangat Maju Sitiawan is one of six schools under the wing of Persatuan untuk Insan Bermasalah Intelak Perak or Perak Association for Intellectually Disabled (PAFID). The objective of the school is to provide education/training for children with intellectual disabilities. Sekolah Semangat Maju Sitiawan provides education for about 70 mentally disabled children and the school is run on a non-profit basis managed by volunteers. Parents of the children are also trained to take care of the children’s special needs. The New Zealand government supports the school by generously donating a van for transporting the children.

Our courses

Three types of courses are provided, i.e. early development programme for children between three and six years, the educational classes for children between the ages of six and 18 years, and skilled training course for students between 18 and 22 years of age. Classes run from 8 am till 12.45 pm on weekdays. At present, the school has 70 students, as well as seven teachers.

The classrooms are located on the 1st floor of a former maternity home and the school shares the compound with a nursing home for the elderly. The monthly school running costs including the salaries of seven of our staff including four teachers sometimes exceed RM10,000 and are totally funded from donations from local well wishers. The Perak State Welfare Agency only pays the salary of five out of our nine trained teachers.

Our needs

Estimated Monthly Expenditure: RM10,000

Local and International volunteers are welcome, please contact organisation for more details.

Cash donations and donations in kind welcomed –

Cash donations are appreciated, as funds are sometimes barely enough to sustain the school. The school is also always on the lookout for teaching/learning equipment (e.g. stationery, books etc.).

Cash contributions exceeding RM100 are acknowledged by the Perak Association for the Intellectually Disabled (PAFID) for tax exemption