Police bus helps children in remote Satui pursue their dreams
Batulicin, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - At 6.00 a.m. Central Indonesian Time on Monday (15/6), 10-year-old Nur Revalina prepared to leave for school. She is a pupil at SDN 2 Bukit Baru state primary school in Sejahtera Mulia Village, Satui District, Tanah Bumbu Regency, South Kalimantan. The distance from her home at PT Sumpol Timber Km 29 to the school on Jalan UPT Bukit Baru RT 08 Dusun III is approximately eight kilometres.
After walking several kilometres to the village office, she was picked up by a police bus from the Tanah Bumbu Resort Police, part of the South Kalimantan Regional Police, which was transporting students to school that day. The police bus was deployed as a temporary replacement for a school bus provided by a local company that could not operate due to technical problems.
Revalina and dozens of other children from various schools appeared cheerful once aboard the bus for the journey to school. During the trip, the children were accompanied by Briptu Ronal Saputra, the community security and order development officer (Bhabinkamtibmas) for Sejahtera Mulia Village from Satui Police Sector. He also distributed boxes of snacks for the children to have as breakfast before starting their lessons.
The existence of a school bus is vital for children in Sejahtera Mulia Village. The long distance to school and the unpaved, clay-surfaced roads make it unfeasible for children to travel alone. Moreover, the route is quiet, passing through forest and oil palm plantations, increasing the risk for children travelling by themselves. When it rains, the roads become extremely slippery and some sections flood, making it difficult for children to cycle, let alone walk.
Parents’ limited ability to take their children to school is another obstacle. Revalina is the daughter of Arbainah and Rahmi, farmers who cultivate rice and corn on agricultural land at Km 24 in Pabilahan Hamlet. As the eldest child, Revalina represents her parents’ great hope for a better life than theirs as farmers. Aspiring to become a policewoman, Revalina’s enthusiasm for school continues to grow. Meeting police officers every day who take her to and from school has further ignited her ambition. The presence of the Tanah Bumbu Police bus seems to have helped children from remote Satui chase their dreams and keep striving to achieve their aspirations through education.