It’s a typical bustling morning at Kampung Air Hujung in Semporna. Children’s laughter echoes through the village as they dart playfully between homes while adults hurry along the narrow wooden planks, heading to their daily work.

By 9am, the small grocery stalls open their doors, offering essentials to the community.

With their fresh catch in hand, fisherfolk make their rounds from house to house, hoping for a quick sale.

Amid this modest village, nestled among the wooden houses and humble roadside stalls, lies an unexpected sanctuary of learning.

Universiti Alternatif is no grand institution with towering lecture halls or sprawling green campuses...