Help Educate East Bali Youth to be Future Leaders

Welcoming a Bright Future: Manikaji Student Activity Report

July marked a significant milestone for EBPP Manikaji School as we welcomed 18 enthusiastic new students: 12 in elementary, 3 in middle, and 3 in high school. The excitement of starting their educational journey with us was very clear, and our commitment to keep nurturing and stimulating the learning environment remains unwavering.

Our students' achievements have been nothing short of remarkable. During the National Education Day celebrations on May 2nd, Manikaji students showcased their talents and hard work. From performing the traditional drama "Bawang Merah-Bawang Putih" to winning top spots in various competitions, their dedication shone brightly. Our junior high school students secured 2nd place in both quiz and debate competitions, while others clinched 1st place in chess and the Word Whispers and Spelling Bee competition.

The Empower program has been a cornerstone of our curriculum, educating students from grades 7-12 on crucial topics such as health, reproductive rights, and self-esteem. This year, we held our student council election at the picturesque Bedugul Botanical Garden, blending leadership training with a touch of nature's beauty. Our organic farming initiative continues to thrive, teaching students sustainable farming practices that not only nourish their families but also promote environmental entrepreneurship skills from a very young age.

In art and computer classes, our students explore their creative and technical talents, learning everything from perspective drawing to creating presentations and handling data in Excel. The progress and passion of our students are inspiring, and we are deeply grateful to our donors for making this possible.

EBPP has a vision in a future where more children like our current students can access the incredible opportunities at EBPP Manikaji School. By scaling up our programs, we can offer even more comprehensive support. Expanding our enrollment will allow us to welcome more eager learners, upgrading our facilities will create an even more engaging learning environment, and broadening our extracurricular programs will cater to diverse talents and interests. Increasing our community outreach will ensure a supportive network for all our students, helping them thrive in every aspect of their education.

Shared Success: School and the Environment

By: I Nyoman Kartya, EBPP Manikaji School Headmaster

Manikaji students’ most impressive achievements so far this year have been in their extracurricular programs, most notably EMpower, with members of the Student Council (OSIS) participating in team-building and leadership trainings at the Bali Woso Outbound camp in Bangli and tree planting on Saab Hill, high up Mount Abang slopes above Manikaji School, as their continued contribution to regenerate the forest following the forest fire that occurred during the last dry season.

To support our gender equality campaign, for girls’ inclusion in sports, Manikaji junior and senior high school students joined mixed-gender sports competitions between EBPP schools, securing third place in both volleyball and futsal. As the culmination of the Creative Projects, they presented their creative works, which addressed village issues such as dirt roads and tree planting through documentary journalism, gender equality and sexual harassment through short videos, and school dropout through posters to their parents and community leaders. Finally, during the parent engagement activity, they enthusiastically learned how to make various rhombus rice cakes for Hindu offerings with their parents.

Regenerative agriculture project

In the second year of their regenerative agricultural program, our students are successfully replication all they learnt in their 2023 school learning gardens on their own land. After determining the contours of the land with bamboo A frames, they skilfully shaped terraces, to ensure good drainage, and planted Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides) on the front edges to conserve soil & water and prevent landslides. They’re also producing liquid and solid organic compost to fertilize the soil, and with the guidance of EBPP Agriculture teachers, they planted a variety of vegetable seeds including carrots, pakcoy, green vegetables, eggplants, and tomatoes, which are thriving and produce bountiful harvests to meet the nutritional needs of their families.

Computer studies include simple essays for elementary students, basic presentations for junior high students, and using online games as computer learning tools for high school students.

Counselling activities involve handwriting analysis for high and junior high school students, while elementary students learned to create stories based on their drawings. In Art classes, students of all levels learn to draw on the themes of Education, Hindu Religious Holidays, and Gardening, then presenting their work in front of the class.

Finally, at the end of March, students took their Midterm assessments to measure their progress over three months of learning, based on teacher material.

All of these mark efforts to enrich the educational experience of Manikaji students, covering academic, extracurricular, agricultural, and mental well-being aspects.