Children suffer in Aceh's many years of unrest

Children suffer in Aceh's many years of unrest

By Tarmilin Usman

ACEH (JP): Since Darwisah, 14, was a small girl, she nurtured
an ambition to be a midwife. She hoped she would be able to
financially support her poor parents through the career. But as a
sixth-grader in elementary school, Darwisah has to be content
with only the dream to become a midwife. It will be very
difficult, if not impossible, for her to realize her ambition as
she is now facing a great challenge for her future.

Darwisah has stopped her schooling for two months now. If she
cannot study further than sixth grade, she can never hope to
become a midwife. "I really don't know what to do, but I really
want to become a midwife," she said in a strong Acehnese accent.

Darwisah lost her father when she was still very small.
Nobody knows where her father, Ibrahim Sulaiman, is buried. Her
father was allegedly killed by the military when Aceh was still a
military operation zone. "Even our house was burned to the
ground," she said with grief clearly showing on her face.
Darwisah and her family are only one of many families who fell
victim to the violence during the military operation period in
Aceh.

As Darwisah and her family have received no aid to build a new
house, they live in a hut in Alu Landong Geumpang village, Pidie,
some 90 km away from Sigli, the capital of Pidie district. Is it
right Darwisah has to bear this plight, and is it right she has
to have a bleak future?

However, sweet Darwisah is not the only one with a gloomy
fate. Hundreds of girls and boys in the same age group as
Darwisah have dropped out of schools in Aceh, leaving behind
their ambitions to become, among other things, teachers, soldiers
and policemen.

One may ask why these boys and girls, who are believed to be
the next generation to take charge of the country, were forced to
become school dropouts? There are two big problems that the
Acehnese are confronting. First, children can no longer go to
school because their schools were destroyed by some unidentified
individuals. Second, hundreds of children now stay in various
refugee accommodation sites along with their parents.

What will be their future be like? When will the government
rebuild the schools? "My child has been doing nothing in these
past three months. Her school was burned down some three months
ago by some unidentified people," said Abdurrahman, one of the
residents of Geumpang.

Hundreds of school-age children in Aceh, particularly in
Pidie, are now school dropouts. Their parents, mostly widows,
cannot do much to help. They hardly have enough money to keep
their body and soul together, let alone sending children to other
towns or cities to continue schooling. "We don't feel safe yet.
We are still traumatized by the horrible events of the past and
present," said Azizah, 45.

At present, there are some 800 school dropouts across Pidie,
while thousands of pupils cannot study properly or peacefully.
They have to study at other schools in the late afternoon. Some
have to join classes at nearby schools.

The Pidie district head, M Djakfar Is, hopes that education
institutions in Pidie can find the best solution for the dropouts
to ensure that they can continue enjoying their education.
Unfortunately, this hope simply remains a hope.

It is difficult for education institutions in Pidie district
to find a solution, especially since they are strapped for cash
and cannot restore dozens of razed schools. "We have done our
best to solve this problem," said the head of Pidie education and
culture service, Djohan Nurdin.

He acknowledged that one thousand elementary school pupils
were not studying in peace, a factor that explained why most of
them were not serious in pursuing their studies. These pupils
have to study beyond regular school hours at a building spared
from fire damage.

All the Acehnese are wondering who could have had the heart to
burn schools. Maybe some do not want to see the education level
improved among residents. "We are still curious about the motive
behind the arson," said Syahrul Nurfa, an NGO activist.

He said with Aceh in its present condition, parents of school
dropouts cannot do much because they are still traumatized with
the incidents before the military operation zone status was
lifted and afterwards.

When can these young people continue their schooling? Do they
have to wait until the "bickering" involving the political elite
in this country comes to an end? Obviously, these children are
hoping to have a brighter future.

Acehnese children are not thinking about their future now.
Away from school, they are enjoying themselves. When they can
return to school depends on the local government.

It is not likely that these children will have the same fate
as their parents, especially because most of them are children of
the victims of the imposition of the military operation zone
status. Many have lost their fathers after they were allegedly
shot dead by the military. They do not know where their fathers
are buried. These children need education so that they can build
their own villages. And perhaps someday Darwisah will see her
ambition come true.