Thanks to the People's School, Julio Escapes from Free Socialising
Julio and his grandmother, Welas (74), have long lived in a simple house in Kampung Kedung Tungkul, Surakarta, Central Java. To meet her grandson’s living needs, Welas sells vegetables door-to-door. However, one thing that has never faded is her hope that her grandson will have a better future.
For the Ministry of Social Affairs, Julio’s story is not just a number in poverty data or a portrait of a school dropout child. He is the real face of children who need the state’s helping hand to rediscover their life’s direction.
Since losing his father at the age of one, Julio grew up in limitations with his grandmother. Without adequate guidance, he once fell into the wrong social circle. His days were coloured by teenage mischief, from throwing stones to carrying sharp weapons. He even dropped out of school in the third grade of primary school.
This condition became a particular worry for Welas. In her limitations, she kept searching for a way so that her grandson would not stray further. That hope finally found its path through the Sekolah Rakyat.
Sekolah Rakyat is a free residential education programme presented by President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto for children from poor and vulnerable families. Now, Julio is registered as a student at Sekolah Rakyat Dasar (SRD) 2 Surakarta.
Julio’s behavioural changes are gradually apparent. The once difficult-to-manage Julio now shows a calmer attitude. He has returned to learning, become acquainted with discipline, and, most heartwarming, rediscovered affection in his relationship with his grandmother.
“Now he is closer. He can hug and kiss me. He says he is happy at school,” said Welas in a written statement on Monday (13/4/2026).
For the Ministry of Social Affairs, Sekolah Rakyat serves as a safe space that restores a place for children not only to learn to read and count. But Sekolah Rakyat students also learn about values, discipline, and the future.
The presence of the residential school also lightens the family’s burden. If previously Julio often asked for daily pocket money that was burdensome, now his basic needs are met. The state is present not only as a service provider but as a protector for vulnerable children.
Amid her increasingly frail age, Welas can now breathe a little easier. Her hope is simple: Julio grows into a good, independent person and does not end up destitute.
She shares that in every prayer, she entrusts Julio’s future, a hope that she knows one day must be released.
“If I am no longer here, I entrust my grandson. May he become a good person,” she said.
Julio’s story serves as a reminder that the right intervention can change a child’s life direction. Through Sekolah Rakyat, the Ministry of Social Affairs continues to strive to ensure that children like Julio do not lose their future just because they were born into limitations.