What's it about?
The Cause
Year
2025
Our Services
The Challenge
Kicking off in Tawau, Sabah, our 15 fellows met with programme partners, mentors, and other participants in an immersive induction session which took them to a local plantation community.
Rather than learning about the issue from a distance, the fellows were immersed in the lived experiences of children, families, and educators on the ground.
Fellows deepened their understanding of child labour laws, ethical reporting, and responsible storytelling through a series of online masterclasses.
Sessions were led by issue experts and industry practitioners to ensure participants approached the topic with both accuracy and empathy.
Guided by their mentors, fellows travelled to communities and alternative schools in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, spending time with plantation smallholders, teachers and communities.
These conversations shaped their understanding of the complexities surrounding child labour and access to education, helping ensure that the stories they produced reflected the realities of the communities themselves.
Drawing on everything they had learnt throughout the fellowship, participants produced original articles and videos that were released in conjunction with World Day Against Child Labour 2025.
The fellowship culminated at the World Day Against Child Labour commemoration in Tawau, Sabah, hosted by Grace Alternative Guidance Centre.
Alongside celebrating broader project achievements under the EU-funded initiative implemented by the ILO and UNICEF, the event premiered a short documentary capturing the Tuai Cerita fellows’ journey and recognised their invaluable contributions to the programme.
Beyond likes and shares, the fellowship effectively sparked important conversations around child labour and children's right to education.
Audiences shared personal experiences of working as children, reflected on the realities faced by migrant and undocumented children, and discussed why child labour remains normalised in some communities.
The stories prompted viewers and readers to look beyond the surface, exploring the complex relationship between child labour, poverty, and access to education.
Many actively shared their perspectives and engaged in discussions on why the issue persists and what can be done to address it.
For several fellows, Tuai Cerita became more than a one-off fellowship.
Content creators and media practitioners who had not previously focused on advocacy or educational issues have continued producing social impact content after the programme, demonstrating a sustained commitment to using storytelling as a force for change.
Were published by fellows, reaching 2.98 million people across digital platforms.
Published online and in print, with an estimated readership of 58.7 million.
