Locals work together to fix schools

Locals work together to fix schools

Singgir Kartana, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Just over three years ago, the condition of public elementary school SDN Selang II in Wonosari, Gunung Kidul, was in a woeful state, but thanks to a U.S.-based non-governmental organization, that situation has been turned around and now the school is greatly improved.

The school was lacking in everything from chairs and tables to textbooks and basic facilities.

The teachers and the students' parents were not able to do anything to improve the situation, partly due to their own financial constraints and the mentality that it was not their place, as the government was the the only entity authorized to make improvements.

The condition however, moved a non-government organization, the Global Education Partnership (GEP) into action. GEP, through its local staff, began approaching the community and encouraged them to take a role in seeking solutions for the obvious problems.

GEP is a non-profit group based in Washington, D.C. It is mainly funded by the GE-Foundation which is the humanitarian arm of the giant American company General Electric.

"At first, the local people were confused about how they would get the funds needed to improve the school's condition, especially because the amount estimated for the improvements was about Rp 40 million," said Wuri Hartono of GEP's local Program Division.

The group, determined not to act like some Santa Claus who comes out of the blue bearing gifts, instead embarked on a program to encourage and enable the people to seek sustainable, constructive ways to overcome their difficult situation.

Each family in the community usually spends around Rp 150,000 to Rp 300,000 to hold the annual Rasulan traditional ritual in the form of offerings and meals distributed to their neighbors.

GEP suggested that the people hold a similar collective gathering, but save the money they usually spent individually for holding the ritual.

A total of Rp 20 million of savings was collected from the locals and GEP covered the remaining Rp 20 million necessary for the school.

"It was very moving. Everyone was involved in the fund raising activity," Wuri recalled.

It also worked in other areas including in Duwet village in Wonosari where locals collected Rp 33 million to procure new textbooks.

There, the group encouraged locals to save Rp 1,000 a day from their daily expenses.

Other success stories worked for SDN Mulo Baru in Wonosari where the students got new textbooks. In the area, locals saved some of the money they usually contribute for others' wedding parties, circumcisions, feasts or other traditional celebrations.

In Sawur village, the group challenged smokers to reduce the money they allocated for cigarettes and save that money to help the local school instead.

"We were asked how much we spent on cigarettes. Then they asked us to cut down on smoking and save for the school. We did it for four months and collected about Rp 20 million," said Sawur villager Sugito.

The organization's policy is that they will match the amount raised by the community, thereby empowering the community to participate in seeking solutions to problems they or the government have been unable to overcome. In a way this is also meant to wake the locals from their long slumber that they too can do something to improve education in their society.

Eventually with enough community particpation, similar projects could be expanded to include junior high and high schools.

Among the schools where the project has been applied are state-owned SMPN Nglipar, SMPN Karangmojo, SD Nglipar, SD Ngawen III, SD Nglanggran and SD Bunder I. Schools in other regencies, include Bantul, Sleman, and Kulonprogo, have also been improved by GEP in conjuction with the local community.

"We usually conduct surveys before deciding to have a partnership program in a particular area," Wuri exlained.

As of May 2004, GEP has implemented their partnership programs in some 179 schools in Jogyakarta province, involving nearly 26,000 students, over 100,000 books and 1,620 sets of school chairs and desks. In all of the programs, GEP always provides half of the money needed.

The projects in this province have been in in the sub-districts of Panggang, Purwosari, Patuk, Gedangsari, Rongkop, Girisubo, Saptosari, Paliyan,Tepus, Tanjungsari, Ponjong, Karangmojo,Wonosari, Ngawen and Nglipar.