The parking attendant whose three children attend SRT 1 Bekasi
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Windu Hadianto, 41, was once ready to give up on his children’s education because his modest income as a daily parking attendant could not cover the costs. His family’s prospects changed after they received support from the Sekolah Rakyat Terpadu (SRT) 1 programme in Bekasi Regency, West Java.
Windu, who is from Gabus in North Bekasi, earns between Rp50,000 and Rp100,000 a day parking cars in the Cabe Ijo area. With four children to support, his income often left the family struggling to meet their educational needs.
“I was at my wits’ end. We were short of money even for everyday expenses. I was thinking of giving up and letting the children finish primary school, because I couldn’t find the money for anything beyond that,” Windu said on Sunday, when he visited his children at SRT 1 Bekasi Regency.
The turning point came when a counsellor or companion from the Family Hope Programme (PKH) visited a local integrated health post and told residents about the Sekolah Rakyat programme for children from disadvantaged families. Windu shared the opportunity with his children, who welcomed it enthusiastically.
His three children at the school are Desi Winda Narni, 13, in Year 7; Muhammad Rizky Langit Ramadan, 11, in Year 5; and Nadia Muharam Lestari, six, who has just reached primary-school age. The siblings all attend the same purpose-built SRT 1 campus, which caters for primary, junior secondary and senior secondary pupils.
Windu said the programme had greatly eased his financial burden and given him peace of mind, as the state covers his children’s education, accommodation and daily needs.
Even visiting them at the boarding school requires him to save several days’ earnings from parking work to hire a motorbike.
“I don’t have a motorbike. I hired this one because I’d finally got some money, so I could come here and bring my child some sandals. She told her dormitory supervisor that hers had gone missing. Thank God, I feel so relieved. All three of them have been taken in. I’m not asking for much; I’d be very happy if they could stay in school through senior secondary,” Windu said at the school’s main gate, accompanied by his wife.
Beyond easing the family’s financial difficulties, Windu said he had seen positive changes in his children since they began living at the boarding school. They had become more disciplined and independent, and were less withdrawn after getting used to socialising with friends from different parts of the country.
Desi, the eldest of the three siblings at the school, described some of her new experiences living at SRT 1 Bekasi.
Alongside discipline-building and physical training, including marching drills led by cadets from the Ministry of Defence, she has learned to look after herself with support from dormitory supervisors who are present around the clock.
“Most of the activities are cleaning, and washing our own uniforms and shoes. Doing the laundry can be tiring, but it’s fun too, because it gives me time to think while I’m washing,” Desi said.
Academically, Desi said she particularly enjoys Natural and Social Sciences (IPAS) and is enthusiastic about technology lessons, including introductory coding and artificial intelligence, using laptops provided by the school.
“We’re not allowed to bring phones. We use the laptops the school provides when we want to study. We can’t take them into our rooms unless we have homework. I like it here; I’m really happy, and I have lots of friends,” said Desi, who hopes to become an Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldier.