During the sewing classes, local children would usually accompany their mothers and watch on in curiosity. At first they were shy, sheepishly peering on from afar, but soon they started become attentive students. They were especially fascinated to meet Marvin, a foreigner. One day, he asked them if they would like to learn English while their mothers learned sewing. The children responded eagerly, and soon the Monday English class became a regular part of their week.

As the English lessons became increasingly popular within the village, our founders started to wonder how to continue to provide lessons once Marvin returned to Germany. During this discussion, their friend, Diederik, walked in. They asked him casually if he would like to volunteer in a kampung, and he immediately responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” Diederik encouraged us to create a larger network of international students that could teach English. That day in the warung, our side-project became “Project Child”.

After only three months operating as a student-based organisation in Kricak, we were approached by Pandu Indonesian Language School for our first partnership. With more resources, Project Child alongside Pandu Indonesian Language School were able to take children on excursions. Their favorite trip was to the zoo to learn about the animals! This made us realise that Project Child could do bigger projects with the help of partnerships.

However, it was not until the beginning of 2013 that “Project Child” had enough money to register as an organisation. This was in large part thanks to Tenny Yanutriana, who made it possible with her generous start-up donation. And thus, “Project Child Indonesia” was born, with a responsibility and desire to deliver services to those in need.

In spring 2014, some of the loyal supporters from Germany partnered with Project Child Indonesia to establish the non-profit Project Child Germany. Under Marvin’s leadership, Project Child Germany helps promote future projects in Indonesia. Both organizations work together to help uplift local communities in a sustainable manner through long-term investments and fundraising.