Small footsteps of six children traced along village roads still\nunpaved and waterlogged after rain. The chirping of crickets accompanied\nthe children heading to school.<\/p>\n
The children departed from their homes in Desa Leuwikaret,\nKlapanunggal District, Bogor Regency at 5:30 AM. Without parental\naccompaniment, they navigated roads still unlit until arriving at school\nat 7:30 AM. Indeed, these small children must undertake a two-hour\njourney to school.<\/p>\n
A video of children undertaking this lengthy journey to school went\nviral on social media. In the three-minute video, a resident named Akim,\naged 43, greeted the schoolchildren.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d Akim asked in Sundanese.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to school,\u201d the children replied in unison.<\/p>\n
When asked what time they departed, the children answered almost\nsimultaneously: half past five in the morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo two hours to reach school? Good heavens,\u201d he said in the\nvideo.<\/p>\n
For residents of Cibuntu Village, the damaged road is not merely a\nproblem for schoolchildren. The muddy unpaved road without proper\ninfrastructure serves as the sole access for residents to conduct their\ndaily activities. The small hamlet comprising two neighbourhood\nassociations and one village association depends entirely on this single\nroute\u2014a route that during rainy season frequently transforms into a\nstream of water and mud.<\/p>\n
Akim, who works as a farmer, stated that road conditions worsen\nsignificantly during heavy rain. Water from the nearby river often\noverflows and blocks the road. The earth becomes slippery and difficult\nto traverse, even for adults.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it rains heavily, water rises onto the road. Sometimes the\nchildren cannot pass through,\u201d said Akim.<\/p>\n
Observing these conditions, he hoped the video he recorded would\nreach the regional government. In the recording, Akim directly expressed\nhis hopes to West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi and the Bogor Regency\nGovernment to improve road access in their village.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease do something, Kang Dedi, build this road. This is still part\nof West Java. Don\u2019t only build roads for other people\u2019s villages,\u201d said\nAkim.<\/p>\n
The video subsequently went viral on social media and drew public\nattention. The recording showing children walking two hours to attend\nschool depicted the harsh reality of educational access in parts of\nBogor Regency.<\/p>\n
Sastra Winara, Chairman of Bogor Regency Legislative Council, stated\nthat his office takes the matter seriously. He said he would promptly\nexamine the status of the road used by the children to determine\nresponsibility for repairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow we will first check with the Village Affairs Office to\ndetermine whether it is a village road or a regency road,\u201d said Sastra\nwhen met after conducting tarawih prayers throughout Babakan Madang\nDistrict on Wednesday evening, 11 March 2026.<\/p>\n
According to Sastra, clarifying the road\u2019s status is important so the\ngovernment can promptly take improvement measures. He also planned to\nconduct a direct site inspection with relevant agencies after the Eid\nholiday period.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Eid we will go there, by motorcycle. The Regent had also\npreviously expressed a desire to inspect the location,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the council will coordinate with the Bogor Regency\nCommunity Empowerment and Village Affairs Office to find a solution to\nthe problem.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/footprints-of-cibuntu-child-in-bogor-two-hour-walk-to-school-1773377617", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }