The Penan Children of Belaga, Sarawak

So much controversial about the Penan and the Bakun Hydro Dam of Sarawak in the media and blogger. The Penan live in the Murum valley located not far from the Bakun dam. The dam will flood about 30,000ha of the Murum Valley to create a reservoir that can feed water into generation plant to produce about 900 MWs of electricity by 2013 as reported in the news media. The first of the 12 new dams, the Murum dam, is said to be under construction. It is located about 470km inland from Miri.
Most of the present longhouses were resettled and built by the timber company. Still many still maintain their nomadic way of life. Most Penan children don't go to school because of distance, availability of school and transportation problem and it take time to change their lifestyle.
Recent visit to their longhouses show they have improved tremendously over the years but they will need to learn new skills, come out to the society and put their children to school.
I have took some photos during a short term education mission trip there bought in by our Miri Methodist churches. Most of the photos will be on the Penan children.

Long Luhat,one of the three Penan longhouses we went.

 

 Beautiful morning as the sun rises.