Mindful English Class at Sekolah Sungai: Part II

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Project Child Indonesia collaboration with Cakap

Salman – Sekolah Sungai Winongo Participant

At around 2pm every Tuesday and Friday, you can find Salman sitting at the village gazebo with his notebook and pen. Being the punctual kid he is, on some days he is the one who calls his friends out to join the class. Since the beginning, Salman has a knack on pronunciation, helping his friends to pronounce English words clearly and correctly. With his handy phone, he takes pictures of the materials that he is interested in. He is most enthusiastic when there are fun activities such as coloring and drawing involved in the session. On some occasions, Salman felt sleepy, yet he still came to class. Even during rainy days, Salman always came first, and was happy and energized! We are highly appreciative of Salman’s consistency to come to class to learn English!

Nathan – Sekolah Sungai Winongo Participant

A shy student at the beginning, Nathan initially needed a bit of encouragement from the facilitators to pronounce new words and to participate actively in class. Overtime, Nathan became more confident and was very enthusiastic during games. Nathan also enjoys learning new materials. His favorite lesson is about colors, that sparked his curiosity, and he even helped his friends to master the new vocabulary he learned! We are truly joyful to see Nathan’s progress in becoming more confident in his English!

Mindful English at Sekolah Sungai Code

Never a dull moment, the children at Code River love to answer questions and feed off of each other’s enthusiasm and energy during class. Facilitated by the teacher Mr. Bas, the students actively answered the questions and quizzes given, and were not afraid to ask the volunteers questions when they did not understand a word or topic. In one class, the students were divided into two groups where the teacher would ask them to guess whether the item they were holding was “in, on, or under.” The two groups showed their competitiveness and in the end got the same score! It was wonderful to see the children show great enthusiasm to learn new materials while also having a lot of fun and joking around!

Overall, the River School children had a lot of fun memories with the Cakap teachers and volunteers. Their enthusiasm was contagious and their curiosity brought the spirit of learning English so much more fun. We are truly grateful for their consistency to attend class no matter the weather, and hard work to master new materials. We are also grateful for the opportunity to learn with Cakap teachers. We hope that there will be more opportunities to collaborate in promoting the English language to be accessible for all children in Indonesia.

This article is part of a 2-part series on Project Child Indonesia and Cakap Collaboration. Read the first part of the article here.

Mindful English Class at Sekolah Sungai: Part I

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Project Child Indonesia collaboration with Cakap

In today’s globalized society, children have become a part of the global community. Growing up as digital natives, competition has become increasingly steep and children are required to develop additional skills from an early age. One of the most commonplace skills needed is English language proficiency, which is required to facilitate a wider interaction between societies and accelerate the exchange of information in the era of digital and information technology. 

The mastering of the English language has also been observed to improve the economy of a country and increase global competitiveness, however, Indonesia is still falling behind. According to the English Proficiency Index (EPI) 2021, Indonesia is in the 80th place out of the 112 countries surveyed, and in the 14th place of 24 Asian countries, which makes Indonesia fall in the category of “low proficiency” country. 

Root problems exist in the inequality to access English education. In major cities in Indonesia, English courses are widely available, however in urban poor and rural areas, most students attend government-funded state schools that teach English for only a few hours per week. In the riverside communities in Yogyakarta that Project Child Indonesia works with, children struggle to receive additional learning opportunities in the English language due to accessibility and opportunity barriers. This situation is unfortunate considering that Indonesia is regarded as one of the world’s most promising rising markets, and the largest economy in Southeast Asia.

For the 35th Batch of our River School program, Project Child Indonesia collaborated with PT Cerdas Digital Nusantara or Cakap to conduct a Mindful English Class at our 2 River Schools located in Winongo and Code River. The classes were conducted twice a week from October – December 2022, involving 41 children ages 5-12. Together with the English teachers from Cakap and 13 volunteers, children were taught the basic English language course using Cakap’s state-of-the-art curriculum, with topics covering family, friends, feelings, expressions, and many more. 

With the help of volunteers, the digital hybrid learning method was made possible. It allowed children to interact digitally with the teacher, while also physically learning with peers and doing engaging activities such as drawing and coloring. Although some students were initially shy, the fun learning activities allowed them to boost their curiosity, engaging in meaningful class participation. They even practiced their English with Project Child Indonesia’s foreign volunteers!

Overall, 18 sessions were successfully conducted, and the experience was very meaningful for the children at the River School. The important part of the learning process was honing the curiosity of the children to want to learn more and use more English in their everyday life. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn with Cakap’s amazing teachers and look forward to more collaborations ahead.
This article is part of a 2-part series on Project Child Indonesia and Cakap Collaboration. Read the second part of the article here.

PCI Feature: 1,700 kilometers Away from Home

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Written by Dara Ayu Ariane, Content Writer Intern at Project Child Indonesia

Chasing our dreams often requires making some hard sacrifices. One of them may be to migrate to a different city or country, and missing home is a normal feeling to have. But when it comes to the month of Ramadan that feeling intensifies and suddenly the urge to go back home is just much more apparent. To be able to engage in various communal traditions, like breaking the fast together over a big family meal, is something most families in Indonesia look forward to and cherish every year. But no one would expect a one year long pandemic to be part of the agenda. Muhammad Diva Permadi, Project Child Indonesia’s Media & IT Manager, is no stranger to the difficulties of being away from home. Keep reading to know more about his journey and find out how he has managed to overcome the challenges! 

Becoming a “solo-player”

In 2016, Muhammad Diva Permadi decided to move to Yogyakarta in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. With home at Batam 1,700 kilometers away, it was the start of a new chapter in his life. When your families are that far from you, it wouldn’t be surprising if it was quite shocking at first. Permadi, as his co-workers like to call him, shared that everything seemed so foreign to him when he first arrived in Yogyakarta. Not just in terms of language, since many people in Yogyakarta often use Javanese, but also with people’s behavior. It was quite difficult for him to get used to how people refer to the direction of the wind (points of the compass) when giving out directions.

Aside from getting used to the culture, Permadi had to cope with becoming a ‘solo-player’. “It can get pretty lonely because usually there are family members with me at home in Batam, but here in Yogyakarta I live alone. So, it’s usually the unexpected things that can be quite a challenge. For example, if I get sick in Batam there is my family who can help out with assisting me to the doctor and my medication, but because I live alone, I have to adapt and learn how to take care of myself properly. I learn how to be a ‘solo-player’,” said Permadi.

His Choice, His Responsibility

Facing other challenges of living alone and away from home can take a while of getting used to, and some people may call it quits and prefer to move back home instead. For Permadi, it’s all a matter of responsibility. “This is the decision I have made, so I must take responsibility for it. Even though I do make mistakes from time to time, it’s all part of the process and the least I can do is to learn from the experiences,” shared Permadi.

1,700 kilometers can seem really far away, but with a simple click of a button, Permadi has managed to stay in touch and connected with his family and friends back home thanks to Whatsapp and other communication applications.

Harder During Ramadan

If in Batam he would have bazaars as well as iftar together with family and close friends, Ramadan in Yogyakarta was very much different for Permadi. In the beginning, he felt really empty because doing the same festivities with the same people was pretty much impossible. “There was this sense of loss, especially during fasting period when I couldn’t enjoy the simple things, like a family member waking me up for suhoor or cooking family meals for iftar. The feeling of euphoria is different when I am celebrating Ramadan in Yogyakarta. I often found myself thinking, ‘why does this year’s fasting seem harder?’”.

In total Permadi has celebrated 6 Ramadans away from home. He shared that as time goes on, he’s become more used to it almost to the point where he’s become neutral about the feeling. But with time, Permadi has been able to bond closer with more people making Yogyakarta not as lonely as before.

“Even though I am used to being away from home, that feeling of homesickness does not fade one bit.”  

Key Takeaways

Being away from home and family can be a huge learning experience. Permadi shared that his situation has made him learn how to be more adaptable to unexpected and unfamiliar circumstances. When we migrate to different cities or countries, we naturally become exposed to various cultures that may have fused, making it such an interesting way to learn and get to know new people and their cultural backgrounds.

“No matter how long or far away we are, there will always be this feeling of wanting to go back home. So, for those of you who are also living kilometers away from home, hopefully you will soon get that chance to finally go home.” – Muhammad Diva Permadi

Volunteer Demography Batch 30

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Intern Demography Batch 30

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Test – Update Post 20200602

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Geschrieben von Graciella Ganadhi, Content Writer Project Child Indonesien, Übersetzt von Lia Sophie Wilmes, Content Writer Praktikantin Project Child Indonesien

Erfolg kann man auf viele verschiedene Arten definieren. Einige Menschen beschreiben Erfolg mit Reichtum, andere sagen, dass man erfolgreich ist, wenn man in jeder Situation bedacht handelt, und wiederum andere behaupten, man sei erfolgreich, wenn man stets freundlich ist. Man merkt schnell, dass Erfolg sehr subjektiv ist und man diesen Begriff nicht pauschal definieren kann. Jeder Mensch hat seine eigene Meinung darüber, was genau Erfolg für ihn oder sie bedeutet. Aber abgesehen davon, wie Erfolg definiert wird, sollte das Ziel doch immer darin bestehen, glücklich zu sein, oder?

Es gibt unzählige Faktoren, die zum Erfolg einer Person beitragen. Die finanzielle Ausgangssituation ist einer davon. Diejenigen, die über genügend Ressourcen verfügen, um ihre Bedürfnisse, wie zum Beispiel ihre schulische oder universitäre Ausbildung, ohne Probleme abschließen zu können, haben in der Regel höhere Erfolgschancen. Glücklicherweise ist Geld aber natürlich nicht alles, was zählt. In vielen Fällen werden auch Kinder aus reichen Familien vernachlässigt und bekommen weder genügend Zuneigung noch Aufmerksamkeit von ihren Eltern, und sind daher alles andere als glücklich.

Bei der Erziehung von Kindern sollten Liebe und Anerkennung an erster Stelle stehen. Kinder sollten in einer liebevollen Umgebung aufwachsen, in der sie sich der Unterstützung ihrer Eltern in jeder Lebenslage sicher sein können. Viele Eltern in den asiatischen Ländern geben ihren Kindern allerdings kaum oder keine körperliche Zuneigung. Grund dafür sind meist alte Gewohnheiten oder Traditionen. Eine Studie zeigt jedoch, dass körperliche Zuneigung und Nähe wesentliche Faktoren für den späteren Erfolg des Kindes sind. Sowohl Selbstvertrauen als auch Selbstbewusstsein der Kinder werden dadurch enorm gestärkt.

Auch die uneingeschränkte Aufmerksamkeit, die einem Kind geschenkt wird, ist wesentlich für seinen späteren Erfolg. Als Eltern müssen Sie allerdings immer zwischen guter und schlechter Aufmerksamkeit unterscheiden. Die Verwendung von Verneinungen wie „Spiel nicht mit deinem Essen!” sollte vermieden werden. Stattdessen sollte man lieber Dinge sagen wie: „Toll, dass du dein Essen aufgegessen hast!”. Wenn Eltern das Verhalten ihrer Kinder zunehmend loben, entwickeln Kinder ein positives Selbstbild und werden auch selbstbewusster.

Gerade im Moment sollten wir die Liebe unter den Menschen feiern. Schließlich brauchen alle Menschen Liebe, um dauerhaft glücklich zu sein. Auch wenn man seinen Lieben, zum Beispiel seinen Großeltern, im Moment nicht die körperliche Zuneigung schenken kann, die man ihnen sonst schenkt, kann man auch auf anderen Wegen seine Liebe ausdrücken.

Verbreiten Sie Liebe und Freundlichkeit!

Referenzen:

https://www.ronitbaras.com/family-matters/parenting-family/kids-need-healthy-successful-happy/ (Accessed on February 7th at 13.41)

Outbond Event – Sekolah Pantai Pacitan

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Um unser halbjährliches Bildungsprogramm, das im Rahmen des Trinkwasserprogramms in Zusammenarbeit mit 4 Schulen rund um Pacitan stattfindet, zu vervollständigen, veranstaltete Project Child am 15. April 2018 ein spezielles Outbond-Event in der Strandschule in Pacitan.

Die Veranstaltung wurde durchgeführt, um die Kinder, die in den letzten 6 Monaten zu den wöchentlichen Klassen kamen zu erfreuen. Während dieser Klassen erweiterten die Kinder ihr Wissen, indem sie über Themen wie Meeresschutz, Plastikreduktion, Umweltverschmutzung usw. lernten.

Das Event begann damit, dass wir den Kindern ein Kurzvideo über eine Möglichkeit des positiven Umgangs mit Plastikmüll zeigten. Nachdem wir das Video angeschaut hatten, rüsteten wir die Kinder mit wiederverwendbaren Müllsäcken aus und gingen zum Strand, um einen Beach-Cleanup vorzunehmen und den Kindern zu zeigen, wie verschmutzt die Natur um uns herum schon ist und wie wichtig es darum ist, aktiv zu werden.

Sobald die Kinder vom Strand zurückkamen, freuten sie sich über das frische Wasser und die Snacks die wir bereitgestellt hatten sowie eine kurze Pause um für die darauffolgenden Spiele Energie zu tanken. Für die Aktivitäten haben wir uns entschieden, die Kinder in Gruppen zu unterteilen und sie so gegeneinander antreten zu lassen. Wir arrangierten Spiele wie ein Wettrennen mit Eiern, ein Skirennen oder ein Wasserballon-Volleyballspiel und waren sehr erfreut zu sehen, mit wie viel Spaß die Kinder bei der Sache waren. Das Siegerteam wurde mit selbstgemachte Holzmedaillen geehrt und schließlich gab es für alle Kinder leckeren Kuchen als Preis für die engagierte Teilnahme.

Alles in allem war das Team von Project Child Pacitan mit dem reibungslosen Verlauf der Veranstaltung zufrieden und freut sich darauf, das Programm mit einer neuen Gruppe von Kindern aus unseren Partnerschulen fortzusetzen.