A dream of a better future - II

We arrived there at noon. The ‘class’ started at 1pm but there were already two girls there. One of the facilitators told me, “They cannot continue their education to junior high. The minimum entrance fee is Rp750,000 (USD75 - which is probably more than the monthly salary of the parents). How can their parents pay such amount of money?”. It was so sad. I cannot imagine me being a parent and needing to say to my child, “I am sorry, son, I cannot afford your education. You have to drop out of school.” Luckily there is a free open school in the village that provides classes once or twice a week. Much better than nothing.

At 12.30, the place was already filled with children of 4-12 years old. Some actually walked more than half an hour from their homes to participate in the class. Today the class was about singing and playing a traditional instrument named Angklung. For the thousandth time, the curiosity and the spirit to learn of the children amazed me. I cannot imagine needing to cut that off them.

The facilitator said, “Who wants to save their money?” Apparently they have a simple form of savings at the school. They saved some of their allowance. At the end of the year, they will collaboratively decide where they will donate the money. Some actually save up to Rp200 thousands. (USD20). The facilitator said that the idea came from the children.

"The last time we donated the money to a Christian-based orphanage, which was in need because the government has cut off their subsidy. We always choose to help those around us because God tells us to help our neighbors," he added.

The lesson continued. There was no explicit teaching of the so called “religion of Islam” in the class. What existed was the practical application of the values: that we need to get to know one another, that we need to help each other, that we need to act kindly, that we need to have self confidence and the belief in God, that we cannot give up and that we cannot stop learning. That God will not change the destiny of a person until that person changes it himself.

These values were also apparent in the facilitators. From the first time the children arrived, they greeted them warmly, full of smile. They played with them, they carried the children in their arms, put the children on their laps - all kinds of love that a child should receive. This helps build a child into a person of love and confidence.