Many children who receive bikes through ChildFund’s Dream Bikes program are in isolated communities and face long journeys across rough rural terrain. It’s a little different for children in Jakarta, the huge capital city of Indonesia. Children there live in dense, crowded slums, and to get to school, they have to walk or take the public bus or a motorbike, a big daily expense for families living in poverty.
Because their homes are small, 125 children in Jakarta’s slums received foldable bicycles from ChildFund’s local partner organisation, Perkumpulan Marga Sejahtera, which hosts after-school activities.
“When they fold the bike, it won’t take up as much space,” explains the organisation`s director, Liest Pranowo. “These children walk every day to school and their after school activities. Having a bike hopefully will help them to get to school easier, get in on time and be more active in out-of-school activities. It would save their parents some money too. Usually, it costs about US$2 for a rental motorbike. It is just too much for them. As children are very active, we also provided them with helmets. If they fall, their heads will be protected.”
Let`s meet Aisyah, a 12-year-old girl who likes watching the news and hopes to be a doctor one day. She received a bike and helmet, and it`s making a difference already. These are her words:
“I walked to school and back every day with my younger brother. He’s in the second grade. I leave home around 5am and get to school by 5:30am Often I came late to school, especially on Mondays and Fridays. On Mondays, we have a morning ceremony where we need to be ready a bit early, and on Friday we have group study and exercise that I need to come early for too.
Once, there were other kids in the street from another school who made fun of me. They would say something bad, like “Oh, you are a hobo! Even your school is the school for hobos!” They were boys, four of them. I would tell them to please not say something like that, as they wouldn’t want other people to say something bad in return, right?
Another time, when I came home from school, these boys said something bad to me again. One of them pulled my hair from the back and pushed me down. I fell down and cried. A taxi driver stopped them. When I got home, I told my mum, and she then went to their house, but they still didn’t want to say sorry.
I am not afraid of them, though, and I try hard to ignore them. My brother always says to ignore them.
Education is an essential part of every childhood. Meet Yufen from East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia. Children who live in developing communities often don’t have access to a quality education.
The teachers may not be equipped with the skills or materials to engage students in their studies, but ChildFund is working to change that. Below Yufen explains how our projects have brought positive and measurable change to his school and the effect that has had on his studies.
A child who loves school
Yufen lives with his grandma while his younger sisters live with his parents in another village. He loves to play soccer and he also likes school.
“On weekends, Grandma takes me to visit my parents. I love my grandma. When she takes me to the farm, she likes telling me lots of different kinds of stories,” says Yufen. “At home, I help her by collecting water for cooking from our neighbour`s well. I have lived with my grandma since I was little because my parents said the school here is better.”
How ChildFund is working to improve the school experience and quality of education
Yufen is currently studying in the fifth grade. His primary school is supported by ChildFund Indonesia and its local partner, LPAA Belu through its Child-Friendly School program. ChildFund has completed classroom renovations and provided schools with school books, teaching aids, tables, chairs, bookcases and guitars. The program, which benefits 338 children and 17 teachers, helps schools become safe, healthy and protected environments for children, encouraging child participation in all aspects of school life.
“I like to go to school because I have many friends there,” Yufen says. “What I like most is science, learning about nature and living creatures. The teachers really care about us. If we are too noisy, they will remind us to be quiet and get back to studying.”
How training teachers to be engaging educators is improving the student experience
Yufen`s school principal, Maria Tai, agrees that the changes have been beneficial for everyone. Teachers have learnt better ways to convey information to their students by preparing lesson plans, managing their classrooms and disciplining children in more effective manners. In turn, students are more comfortable asking questions and giving their opinions in class.
“Before the training on child-friendly schools, we easily became angry with children when they made mistakes. Slowly, we have changed our interactions with the children. Now, we listen to children’s needs,” says Tai. “For example, on the second break between classes, children were usually asked to just stay in the class. Some children mentioned that it was really boring and asked if they could take a break in the library. I thought it was a good idea, so I let them. Now, students are reading more than just their textbooks and are discussing what they have learnt back in class.”
