The 23rd of July is “Hari Anak Nasional”, or Indonesian Children’s Day. Hari Anak is a day to focus on improving the lives of children by making them feel secure, valued and loved by involving them in community activities.
For Hari Anak 2014, “Project Child” hosted a “football day”, where the children from our Sekolah Sungai were taken to the local futsal field to play football. Leading the training session was Kristian Adelmund from Liga Indonesia Premier Division team PSS Sleman, also based in Yogyakarta.
We are happy to report that the football day was a huge success! The children had a fantastic time, running around after multiple balls flying around and diligently following Kristian’s direction. A few children were extremely determined to score a goal against a PSS Slemen player, often taking advantage of distraction and other foul play. After the session, the children flocked to Kristian for him to autograph their shirts and footballs.
Involvement in sport is a crucial facet of a child’s development. Many children, especially in developing countries, are often not motivated or educated about the importance of being physically active. Sport provides a fun, social way to remain active. Sport also teaches valuable skills including teamwork and social skills, and with conscious coaching, can also build self-confidence and self-esteem.
Many thanks to all the volunteers, especially Kristian, for making the day an absolute success! Terima kasih! Many Thanks & Vielen Dank also to “Education For Indonesia” who helped us through their support from Germany to have this event.
