The Hopes of Cimahi's Underprivileged Children Rekindled at 'Sekolah Rakyat'
Kirana Destiani has finally returned to the embrace of her grandparents in Kampung Babut Girang, Cimahi Utara, Cimahi City, West Java. The 13-year-old is making up for lost time after being away at the Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Pertama (SRMP) 08 Cimahi, a state-run boarding school. She and her fellow students are on a break until 5 July 2026.
Her life was transformed by the routine at the Sekolah Rakyat dormitory, but for now, she is enjoying time with her grandparents, Aan (74) and Sariah (70), who have raised her since childhood. Amid economic hardship, Kirana believes the Sekolah Rakyat programme, initiated by President Prabowo Subianto and run by Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, can be a stepping stone towards her dream of becoming a policewoman. The school represents a new hope for a better future for underprivileged children like herself.
During her school holiday, Kirana does not idle. She sets aside time to study and helps her grandmother run a modest stall at their home, as she has done since she was little. Kirana has lived with her grandparents since her parents separated and were unwilling to care for her. Losing the warm embrace of her parents naturally saddens her, but she refuses to dwell on it because she still has her beloved grandparents who have sincerely raised her despite their very limited means.
After graduating from primary school in 2025, Kirana sought a way to continue her education without fees, as she did not want to further burden her grandparents. Hope appeared when the government launched the Sekolah Rakyat programme. She applied and was accepted, as the programme specifically targets families in extreme poverty, classified in the lowest income deciles. Its main goal is to break the chain of intergenerational poverty by providing free, quality education.
Her new life began when she entered the SRMP 08 Cimahi dormitory at Sentra Abiyoso on 14 July 2026. She had to temporarily part from her grandparents and start a daily routine with newly met friends. Since entering the dormitory, Kirana and the other students have had to leave their old lives and habits behind to adapt to a new, structured environment. The free school, championed by President Prabowo Subianto, adopts a holistic education concept, focusing not only on academic ability but also character building. Students are trained to be independent, confident, and brave enough to dream.
With the boarding school system, they must get used to a highly structured daily routine and time discipline. Activities for students who wish to pray Tahajud begin at 3:30 a.m. WIB. Those who fast on Mondays and Thursdays are woken and provided with a pre-dawn meal. Group activities start with a morning assembly, followed by Subuh prayers in congregation at the mosque. At 6:00 a.m., it is time for breakfast, followed by cleaning the environment. Formal teaching and learning activities run from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., following the national curriculum. The afternoon continues with dormitory activities, extracurriculars of the students’ choice, independent study, and further environmental cleaning. Evenings are filled with Quran recitation, literacy and numeracy classes, specialisation classes, and additional lessons for children who need them. The day’s activities conclude with a reflection session and lights out by 9:00 p.m.
This new routine initially made Kirana feel unsettled, and she briefly considered returning home, especially as she missed her grandparents. However, she slowly worked to overcome her reluctance and accelerate her adaptation to her new life, convinced that Sekolah Rakyat could be the bridge to achieving her ambitions. Moreover, the students are treated specially, as all their needs are met by the state, as mandated in Presidential Regulation Number 120 of 2025 on the Implementation of Sekolah Rakyat. All educational and living costs, from head to toe, are fully covered, including comfortable dormitory beds, stationery, shoes, and uniforms.
After a year in the programme, Kirana notes she has become more diligent, disciplined, and confident. She has now been promoted to Year 8 and remains determined to become a policewoman to make her grandparents proud. The positive change in Kirana has made her grandmother, Sariah, proud and deeply moved. She knew her beloved granddaughter desperately wanted a higher education but was constrained by cost. Amid that worry, Sekolah Rakyat provided a glimmer of hope and opened a path for her granddaughter to continue schooling.