Thousands of Rural Children Targeted by Child-Friendly School Development Programme

Efforts to provide a safe learning environment that supports children’s growth and development continue to draw attention from various parties. One such effort is being made by Yayasan Arsitek86 Peduli (ars86care), which has introduced a new programme to expand the development of child-friendly schools in a number of rural areas in Indonesia. The initiative was introduced to coincide with the foundation’s 21st anniversary of working in the fields of education, children, and the built environment. Through a programme called SAPA RUANG, or Space for Safe and Positive Growth, ars86care aims to integrate various activities that were previously run separately into a more unified movement. Chairman of the ars86care Advisory Board, Helman Sitohang, said that the environment where children grow up plays an important role in supporting their learning and development process. ‘For more than two decades, ars86care has believed that every child has the right to grow, develop, and learn in an environment that is not only safe but also nurturing and inspiring,’ Helman said in an official statement. According to him, the foundation’s approach focuses not only on the physical construction of schools but also encompasses strengthening the quality of education and environmental awareness within the community. The programme is built on the foundation’s years of experience assisting communities in various regions. Since 2012, ars86care has been involved in the construction and renovation of more than 40 kindergartens and early childhood education centres in several areas of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The schools that are built prioritise child-friendly concepts, ranging from building safety aspects, adequate sanitation, and green open spaces, to playgrounds that support learning activities. Beyond building educational facilities, the foundation also runs various mentoring programmes for teachers, parents, and the surrounding community. This step is taken so that the educational environment created can provide sustainable support for children. One of the programmes run to date is the provision of mini-libraries and quality reading books in village schools. The programme aims to increase children’s interest in reading from an early age, especially in areas with limited access to reading materials.