In Indonesia, the 2018/2019 school year started this month. As we have done for the last 10 years, XSProject arranged for all students living at the Cirendeu trash picker community to have new uniforms, shoes and school supplies purchased with donations from our GlobalGiving supporters.
Our Kindergarten class is located at the dump site in the Cirendeu/ISRI Community Center. It has a new coat of paint to welcome the six, six-year-olds to meet their new teacher Miss Vicky.
The first day is orientation. Mothers attend with their children. The children receive two uniforms, one to wear on Mondays and Wednesdays and a special batik uniform for Fridays.
Mothers must bring their Family and Parent ID cards and their child’s birth certificate and immunization card. XSProject helps secure any information the mother does not have because without it, the student can only go up to the 6th grade but not to middle or high school.
During orientation, XSProject’s GM, Retno Hapsari instructs the mothers about being responsible for taking good care of the documents, making sure their children are bathed and have a clean uniform each day as well as packing a healthy snack to eat in class and taking an interest in the activities their children do each day.
After orientation, it is time for Miss Vicky to take over the class. She told us,
“I prepare my students (so) that within a year, they will be able to read, write and do computation. They also will learn to have a good and well-mannered attitude, respect their parents, teachers and the environment around them. I teach my students a sense of responsibility so when it’s time for them to go to Grade 1, they will already have a sense of independence. I also pay attention to their health. When they are healthy, they are excited to study.”
Miss Vicky has been teaching Kindergarten and tutoring older students at Cirendeu for many years. She knows if a child is struggling and lets the XSProject staff know what actions to take. She also encourages the mothers to be involved with their children often including the moms on class field trips, health check-ups and when immunizations are needed. One of the activities she stresses daily is dental care and oral hygiene. Each student receives a new toothbrush and cup and learns to brush their teeth after eating snacks.
There’s quite a lot to do and learn when you start Kindergarten. Class is in session only because of our generous contributors. You are helping these little ones develop a strong educational start. Thank you from XSProject, Miss Vicky and the families of all our students!
This article was originally posted on the Global Giving website. There you can make a donation to the work of XSProject.
Thank you for the great work.
Thank you 🙂