Give An Education To A Trash Picker's Child

On Giving Tuesday, November 28 and throughout the month of December, XSProject invites you to make a donation to Give an Education to a Trash Picker’s Child to help fund our XSCollege Scholarship program.

Here are how your donations have benefited the children in our program since 2014!

In 2013, we informally started a “Pre Grade-1” class at the garbage dump as a place for the youngest children to go while their parents picked trash. That first year there were 15 children in the class. On February 14, 2014, when XSProject launched Give an Education to a Trash Picker’s Child on GlobalGiving, there were a lot of children at the garbage dump in Jakarta. Without an education they would grow up to be trash pickers like their parents.

That year, GlobalGiving’s donors gave almost $36,000 to fund our project. We hired an Kindergarten teacher for the Pre-Grade 1 class and began following the Indonesian curriculum.

Then we did a head count of all children who were of school age at the dump and began introducing the idea of a K-12 education to their parents- paid for by XSProject.

We learned tough lessons along the way. We chose to place the children in the Indonesian public-school system, so they could assimilate with students from different economic backgrounds. We had to provide vaccinations, health check-ups, eye and dental exams. Many needed eyeglasses after living in the smoke and pollution of the garbage dump all their lives. All of them needed uniforms, shoes, books, backpacks and even lunches.

That first year, we place 74 children in public school. We also determined that it would cost XSProject $30,000 to provide one trash picker’s child a K-12 education, including medical and school needs. Year after year, GlobalGiving’s amazing donors have helped fund our XSEducation program.

Now, as the students graduate from high school, we help them find employment. Like many big cities, Jakarta has lots of jobs, but only menial work for high school graduates. In 2016 XSProject placed Sari, a very bright student from the trash picker community in college. Now in her sophomore year she is studying Accounting and working at XSProject as a tutor in our after- school program helping our elementary students.  

This year, XSProject established the XSCollege Scholarship Fund for STEM and Medical Sciences studies. For students with exceptional high school grades and the determination to tackle college, we believe in their success. We’re asking for your help to fund this program.

In July, two young women joined Sari in college. For young people who have passion, dedication, and willingness to work, XSProject is the way for them to break the cycle of a trash picker’s life.  They are also role models to middle and high school students soon to graduate.   

On Giving Tuesday, November 28 and throughout the month of December, please consider a recurring or one-time donation to our project, Give an Education to a Trash Picker’s Child to fund our XSCollege Scholarship program. We need your help to raise $15,000 for our three college students to finish their degrees and launch their careers.  We are grateful for GlobalGiving’s support and we know if anyone can make this happen, GlobalGiving’s donors can. Thank you!