LIDIANA ROBIN, 5, could not hide her excitement when a group of journalists visited her kindergarten – Tadika Sedidik Long Jenalong, Baram – on a Tuesday morning in early October.

Known as the ‘little helper’ because she is the most active among the children in helping their teacher with basic chores at the kindergarten, Lidiana and her six classmates greeted us with a loud “Selamat Datang” as we made our way into the brand-new school building that sits on a gentle slope above the 30-door Long Jenalong longhouse, a Penan village situated deep in the interior of Baram District.