School for Outer Island in Indonesia

Dear
Our generous donors

A platoon tent stands in the middle of Seupang Hamlet - West Java just below the tree that has thick leaves. Inside the tent, there are wooden boards that serve as the flood. Two blackboards can be seen facing each other. This place is a makeshift school for children affected by flash flood in Seupang Hamlet.

When the ACT team visited, the students can be heard chattering. They looked eager to learn. A teacher was also seen in their midst, teaching three classes. "This is a makeshift school for grade 1, 2, and 3. The rest (grade 4, 5, and 6) use the other makeshift school," said Nisa, one of the teachers, pointing towards another emergency school building located right next to the tent where she teaches.

These children are students of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (Islamic Elementary School) Mathla'ul Anwar, Seupang West Java. Their school has been destroyed by the flash flood that hit Seupang Hamlet in early January 2020. Parts of the school could not endure the flood and mud that reached five meters high. Many of the desks and files were also washed away by the flood.

Currently the children are studying in the emergency school in the evacuation site in Seupang Hamlet.  There are five teachers and several volunteers have also been helping the 49 students to heal their trauma.

Wahibudin, one of the teachers at MI Mathla'ul Anwar, said, from their first day on the makeshift school, the children have been psychosocial support by the volunteers there so that children can quickly forget the disaster. On the first day, they went to school without wearing uniforms or shoes, or bringing any books. All of their school supplies were washed away by the flash flood.

"Everything now is from the aid given by benefactors, from shoes, uniforms, to temporary school buildings. We still need help to establish a permanent school because our school in Seupang Hamlet has been destroyed, and we will not establish the school on the same location," he explained.

Wahibudin added, he did not know where the new school will be established. It is likely that the school will be relocated along with the relocation of Seupang Hamlet. The school was originally established for residents of Seupang and surrounding villages in the 1970s to provide education facilities located close to their neighborhood.

"Now, we hope there’ll be people who want to help to rebuild this school. All of the school supplies and equipment were lost in the flood," said Wahibudin.

We kindly thanks so much for your kindness and sincere help to support Indonesian community. Please stay safe and healthy.

Dear
Our respected donors across the globe,

I am reaching you kindly to deliver the updates on the development of school project in Indonesia. 
Every day, Arapah Laka’s house in Alor is filled with the voices and chatters of children who study in her house. The house that is located in Ulimonong Hamlet, Alor Besar Village, Alor, is not too big, but it doesn’t stop 63 children from studying there.

Arapah’s house has been converted into An-Noor Early Childhood Education Center since 2018. The school doesn’t have its own building. Previously, it used a building belonging to a village institution.

"In 2014, the village government asked us to use an unused buildings used by a village institution. However, in 2018, the institution wanted to use that building, so we decided to move here,” said Arapah several months ago when Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) team met her in her house. Assisted by five teachers, Arafah, who is also an ACT volunteer, manages this pre-school.

Although its building is quite humble, the Early Education Center that was built in 2013 has obtained an operational permit. All of the students have National Student Identification Numbers that can help them to continue to higher education.

"In the future, we want to develop this Early Childhood Education Center along with an Islamic school because there’s no Islamic school in Alor. But, of course, we would have to wait until we have our own building,” hoped Arapah. She added that religious values are emphasized in An-Nur Early Childhood Education Center

The construction of the building which Arapah and many of the locals has been yearning for finally began in late 2020. In October 2020, ACT initiated the construction of the new building through the Indonesian Outer Islands program. With the assistance of the locals, the progress of the construction has reached 60 percent by November.

The school construction have not completed yet, the walls have been being plastered. Hopefully, this building will be finished soon and can be used by students and teachers there,” explained Bobby Sandra from the ACT Program Department.

Thank you so much for your sincere support, please stay safe and healthy. 

Dear 
Our respected donors

It is far from the hectic city life, there are students who are studying at an unlikely to be called a school. It is AI Amin Kewitu Primary School that located in Nanga Bere village, Lembor, Manggarai West District, East Nusa Tenggara. 

The school was built in 2004, and has 74 students who are reaching their dreams at classroom that made by woven bamboo walls. The bamboo walls are not the proper one,  it has holes everywhere, which could be flowed by the wind every time. When it rains, the cold wind and the dripping rainfall barged in, force the teacher to stop the learning activities, while the students are drenched in sweat.

In other province called West Nusa Tenggara and located in Karampi village, Langgudu, Bima district, there is a school called Karampi Filial Soropeto Primary School has 30 students and it was built in 2012. The school location is very far from community lives, the best way to reach the school have to pass the sea by the fisherman’s boat the main reason is that the road distance to school is very far and the road's condition is very bad. 

The class rooms made by bamboos those slats lined up  and the roof made by the palm leaves. When rain falls, the soil become muddy and they have to stop the lesson-activities. All of students do not have proper school kits.

The fund that we have received from  donors, we have distributed on school kits programs for 104 students, the school kits contains are: school bag, books, pencils, pen and new uniform. One of teacher deeply thank to all donors who deliver the school kits for their students, and he hope that the school could get more attention, because the schools just made from bamboos. 

Finally, thank you so much for your generous donation that benefit directly to the students. 

Dear our respected donors across the globe,

It is located on the top of one of the hills in the south of Tasikmalaya Regency, far from the crowds, amidst the towering trees and lush tea plantations. Unfortunately, the access to reach this place is not easy, as the road to this village is steep, rocky and muddy. Only motorcycles are able to traverse this road. Usually, local residents modify their motorcycle tires by covering them with chains to protect them from the mud.

Private Islamic Elementary School (MIS) Cilenjang is located in Campakasari Village, Bojonggambir District, Tasikmalaya Regency. Located atop the hill, its roofs are visible from afar. It looks beautiful amid the greenery.

MIS Cilenjang has three buildings with no flooring but dirt. The asbestos roof will heat up during hot days. The walls are made of woven bamboo. The rooms have no windows, and the door hinges are only made of scrap tires.

"Initially, MIS Cilenjang had six classrooms, but since 2019 they have to share with a local junior high school at the same location," Muhammad Kamaludin, one of the teachers explained clearly. 

MIS Cilenjang has around 60 students coming from three villages around the school. Another school located closest to the village is e kilometers away, and the children must walk to reach that school. The road until now has not been paved and the location is between the tea plantations.

MI Cilenjang was established in the 80’s, but it relocated twice. In 2014, MIS Cilenjang moved to its current location in Campakasari Village, getting near to the settlement area. The building that currently stands is was built by the community who wants their children to go to school every day.

"Previously, because the location of the school was very far from the settlement area, most children only attended the school 2 or 3 days a week. It was too far and difficult to reach, especially when it rains and there were no motorized vehicles. But now, children can go to school every day," Kamal said.

Every day, the students and teachers have to conduct teaching and learning activities in dust-filled classrooms. The classroom only has simple desks. Some students have to sit on the flood because of the limited seats. They sat on wooden boards to protect them from the dirt.

The lack of adequate facilities in this school does not dampen the spirit of the students. Among the students was Handi, a third-grader who enthusiastically goes to school every day. He walks to school along with his friends.

MIS Cilenja is one of the schools in Indonesia with inadequate facilities. Nevertheless, the hope for a better education in the outskirts of Tasikmalaya surges on

Indeed, the school or classroom condition in Indonesia is far from convenience for studying and teaching process for students and teachers.  We kindly thank you very much for your kindess and sincere help to support us. Please stay safe and healthy.

Warm regards,

Mohamad F. Amrullah

Respected donors, Aksi Cepat Tanggap Foundation has been continues to improve the education on Indonesian Outer Islands.  By having better education is one of many ways to create young generation leader for the country. One of Aksi Cepat Tanggap Foundation programs are to build school in outer Island for unfortunate community who live far way from the education access in the country. 

Aksi Cepat Tanggap Foundation have been built Hidayatullah senior high school for students who are studying at uncomfortable  place those made by woods, the roof made from zinc.  The school location called village Siwalubanua, Sitoli Idanoi, Sub-District North Sumatera. 

Muhammad Ikhsan (school leader) said that total students at senior high school are 40 students and only have one class room only, which is not enough for all grade at  senior high school. Before the contruction, the school was really lack of facilities there is no tables, no chairs, no teachers room, no rest room, etc.

Nowadays, students, teachers and community feel very happy to have new school. They could study much much more comfortable than before. Thank you very much for generous support that make huge impact on society, your generousity will make better life for students and better dream in the future.