Nurturing Young Minds

Young children from less- than- fortunate backgrounds can get free education and enjoy healthy, nutritious meals thanks to Pansophia’s ‘ Adopt a Child’ programme 154

n april 27, 2009, Pansophia Nusantara was established with the aim of transforming Indonesian society through education. Indonesia has a school-enrollment level of less than 50 per cent and children who are not enrolled are more likely to commit violence and tend to show less tolerance to peers from different religions and races. Early childhood education is the field Pansophia focuses on, because, ages 3 to 5 years old are the “golden age” in which brain and character development happen.

Adopt a Child is a supporting programme in which providing Rp 300,000 a month will cover a child’s school fees and daily nutritional meals. Donating reading and playing materials to help the children learn is also highly appreciated. Meanwhile, for a more hands-on approach, there are volunteer opportunities by helping out at fundraising events, chaperoning field trips to Seaworld and Ragunan Zoo, among other places, and assisting with Saturday music, art and sports programmes.

As a non-profit organisation, Pansophia relies on supporters to build schools in underdeveloped areas and feed the students. Thirty students in one school in its first year have since multiplied to around 1,400 students in schools across the archipelago: Sekolah Muara Baru and Tambora in West Jakarta, Marunda in North Jakarta, Jatinegara in East Jakarta, Bekasi in West Java, Bitung in North Sulawesi, Denpasar in Bali and Kupang in NTT.

Each school has learning objectives for students to believe in a Creator, to be educated through discussion and interactive training, to have exercises for gross- and fine-motor skills, to use logic in analysing and evaluating problems, to develop communication skills and to be introduced and taught important life concepts. These goals are in line with the curriculum that puts character building, family and education first.

More information about Pansophia can be found at www.pansophiaindonesia.org, or via email at admin@pansophiaindonesia.org.