From lullabies once sung under starlit skies to oral histories passed down through generations, Sabah’s indigenous voices carry the essence of its culture.

Over three days, teachers, mothers, and storytellers from villages across Sabah gathered to document the songs, lullabies, and oral traditions that have carried their communities through generations.

This powerful convergence had a dual purpose: not only to preserve folklore but also safeguard identity. As part of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 – 2032), the Audio Storytelling Workshop united Sabah’s indigenous voices to ensure that their languages, some at risk of disappearing, continue to resonate for future generations.

What Was the Audio Storytelling Workshop in Sabah?

Held from 29 September to 1 October 2025 at the Lomunu Leadership Training Centre in Penampang, the Audio Storytelling Workshop was a joint initiative by PACOS Trust and the Kadazandusun Language Foundation, supported by the European Union.

Participants from 13 villages across Sabah came together to document traditional stories, songs, and oral histories in seven indigenous languages: Kadazan, Dusun, Rungus, Murut, Tinagas, Sungai Makiang, and Tombonuo.

While the first four languages are widely recognised across the state, the latter three — Tinagas, Sungai Makiang, and Tombonuo — are far less known and rarely recorded. Their inclusion marks an important step toward preserving Sabah’s linguistic and cultural diversity, which encompasses over 30 distinct ethnic groups and countless dialects.

The workshop’s main focus was to help participants transform raw recordings into polished audio stories. Over the three days, they learned how to structure their material into clear narratives using simple storyboarding, practise basic audio editing skills, and enhance their stories with narration, ambient sounds, and music. By the end, each participant produced an original audio piece featuring traditional songs or stories from their respective communities.

Who Were the Participants? The Role of Community Learning Centres (CLCs)

Most of the participants were teachers from Community Learning Centres (CLCs), grassroots early education centres supported by PACOS Trust and led by women from rural communities. These centres were created to fill the educational gaps in remote areas where formal kindergartens were unavailable.

Before the CLCs were established, many children entered primary school without basic literacy or numeracy and often struggled to keep up. Now, thanks to these community-run schools, children not only arrive in school ready to learn but often excel in their studies.

But CLCs do much more than prepare children for formal education. They teach in native languages, allowing cultural identity to grow alongside knowledge. They are also community spaces where traditional crafts such as weaving are revived, creating small-scale entrepreneurship that strengthens local economies.

Most importantly, these centres are driven by women — mothers who become teachers and mentors within their own villages. For many of them, participating in the Audio Storytelling Workshop was a continuation of their mission: to pass on knowledge, preserve culture, and explore new ways of keeping oral traditions alive for future generations.

Where Will These Stories Be Shared?

The finished audio stories will soon take the stage at the third edition of Malaysian Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (MIPCE 3) from 12 to 14 December 2025, a national platform that brings together educators, community leaders, and cultural advocates.

Through this event, the voices captured at the workshop in seven different indigenous languages will be shared with a wider audience, celebrating the diversity and resilience of Sabah’s indigenous communities. These stories will stand as both educational resources and cultural touchstones, inviting listeners to experience Sabah’s linguistic diversity in its most authentic form.

CLC Teachers Beyond the Classroom: A Glimpse into MONGINGIA

The spirit of these community educators also lives on in MONGINGIA, an upcoming documentary whose title means “teacher” in the Kadazan language. The film follows several CLC teachers as they navigate the challenges and impact of education and cultural preservation in their villages.

While MONGINGIA is not directly related to the Audio Storytelling Workshop, it shares the same spirit: the strength and perseverance of women who teach, nurture, and carry forward the stories of their communities. Together, both the documentary and the workshop reflect a growing movement across Sabah to keep indigenous knowledge alive through education and storytelling.

A Larger Purpose: Voices as Living Heritage

Efforts like this go beyond documentation. They mark a living exchange between generations, an affirmation that language is not just a means for communication but a vessel for memory, wisdom, and worldview.

Through the workshop, teachers had the opportunity to transform what they know and teach every day into tangible cultural archives: stories that can travel, be replayed, and be shared far beyond their villages. Among the recordings were lullabies once sung to soothe children, origin tales tied to the landscape, and songs sung out in the fields. Others featured oral histories from elders, stories that connect identity, ancestry, and belonging in ways that written records rarely capture.

As these stories travel beyond their villages and into classrooms, conferences and archives, they extend the life of oral traditions, allowing each voice to continue speaking in new spaces and new generations.

Listening Forward

At its heart, the Audio Storytelling Workshop was an act of listening — to language, to history, and to one another.

In bringing these voices together, it bridges generations and reminds us that the stories of Sabah’s indigenous peoples are not echoes of the past, but living expressions of who they are today.

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For updates on the Malaysian Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (MIPCE) and other community initiatives, visit: