St. Francis Xavier Mission School of Kanowit

Kanowit is one of the very special Chinese bazaar towns in Asia. While almost 100% of the shops are owned by the Chinese those who come in to trade are the indigenous people (selling rubber and oil palm and other jungle products) while the Malays and some indigenous people belong to the Civil Servant group.

One of the earliest Churches established in Sarawak is the St. Francis Xavier Church by the European Roman Catholic  priests. The church also set up a very good clinic which served many people for miles around and that benefitted the schools which have been set up around Kanowit too. I know  a good nun called Sister Barbara who served here very selflessly for decades. Although she should be retired now she is still serving in different missions elsewhere.  She was a saviour to many  young mothers who could have lost their lives while giving birth. Many unwanted young baby girls were also sent to the Convent to be educated and later led good lives.

The Mission Road in Kanowit has a very different reputation from that of Sibu.

This road is also the address of the Dayak House which provides accomodation to people from the ULU who could not afford the small hotel rates.

Boarding House for the Ulu People...5 family rooms are available.

The old school buildings of St. Francis Xavier

A long time ago there was a young boy who went to school for the first time . He knew that his father had named him Xavier. When the Primary One teacher called the names of the  students he realised that his name was not called. At the end of the morning the poor boy was in tears and the teacher did not know what to do with the unregistered boy but wait for the father to come. The father being illiterate proved the registration of the boy at the school by producing the birth certificate.

The mystery was solved. In the birth certificate the boy's name was not Xavier at all. But instead he was registered as SPOON.  The clerk at Registrar of Births obviously could not spell Xavier and wrote down SPOON instead. In Sarawak this is actually quite a common story . Tales of funny names because the father of the child cannot spell the good name he wants to give and the clerk is not any wiser. Perhaps this problem is slowly being alleviated by better education.

School Pledge

New St. Francis Xavier Church

New school

Self explanatory

KANOWIT will always have a special place in my heart.....and the bazaar provides such a wonderful experience too. One day I will try to row a boat across to Sedaya if I have the energy left and the river current is not too strong.