YOU are the KEY

A day in the life of a Rumah Belajar

It is Seven thirty and already there is a steady stream of students passing through the gates, many of whom are carrying plastic bags full of food for their breakfast. They are greeted with a cheery “Selamat pagi anak-anak” (Good morning children) or a “High guy’s, Good morning” by some of the more adventurous staff! The children respond in kind as they make their way towards a seated area.

Many of the children wake early to make the journey to school and do not get the chance to breakfast with their families, so it is wonderful to see them chatting happily in the sunshine with their friends, while taking on fuel for the morning ahead.  

Lessons are in full swing and the subjects of Geography, Mathematics’ English and Religion are being absorbed by many young minds. All is quiet in the hallways except for the sporadic bursts of laughter coming from some of the classrooms. At Ten O’clock that quiet is shattered by the noisy, but well mannered exit from the classes, ‘it’s break time’ and again food seems to be on the forefront of most minds! Some children have a late breakfast, and for some a snack, but for the boys the order of the day seems to be a quick game of football in the parking area.     

The Twenty minute break seems to fly by as again, the sound of the jaunty tune plays over the P.A. The children can be seen wolfing down the last remnants of their food and gulping down a refreshing drink! The process of filing back into class begins again, with the teachers ready to impart more knowledge for the willing young minds to imbibe.

Midday arrives in a blink of an eye, schools out for the day for some, for others its lunch time where more fuel is taken onboard ready for the afternoon vocational learning courses. For others there is no urgency to rush home, the safety and sanctity of the school affords the children time to be what they are……Children.

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Renaldi

Everything starts from a dream. The next step is to consistently pursue and realize the dream.

Information Technology (IT) Staff for Information System (IS) at YCAB’s office. That is the answer that will be given by a man named Renaldi, when asked what his job is now. "My responsibility is to update the YCAB website content," Renaldi said proudly.

It’s only natural if Renaldi feels proud. He is also grateful for his life now. How could he not? Still recorded clearly in his mind, the struggle he had to go through after finishing High School, six years ago. "In 2012, as I recall, there was no free high school.As a result, my mother was struggling to look for an affordable school. My parents struggled financially. My dad was only a Bajaj (tuk tuk) serviceman who sometimes became a Bajaj driver, while mom did not work," said Renaldi. "So, high cost became the obstacle to continue school," he added. 

Fortunately, Renaldi's mom remembered having a friend whose son was an alumnus of Rumah Belajar. "Mother also asked about YCAB school. After getting the information, Mom concluded, YCAB was the right place for me. My mom told me that 'there are various courses there'. Finally, my mother enrolled me in Rumah Belajar Duri Kepa," Renaldi added.

Like a public school, Rumah Belajar (RB) Duri Kepa, located in West Jakarta, conducted admission tests to determine the ability of prospective students. "But, actually the test score is not very important. As long as the student is motivated, RB will be able to help. What is seen is the spirit of the child; whether he wants to learn or not," said Renaldi. "So, even if the test result was bad, but the student seemed to potentially want to change for the better, he would be accepted," continued the first son of Warti and Wahidin firmly.

Distance Issue

In addition to the Package C school, Renaldi also utilized his skills by taking the computer course. The man who was born on December 28, 1966 mentioned that he was interested in technology. According to him, teaching materials in the computer course in RB prioritized theory rather than practice. Many lessons were given, such as basic electronics devices, maintenance techniques, minor troubleshooting, and how to fix it.

The learning system set by RB was very attractive for Renaldi. "The location of Rumah Belajar Samsung was adjacent to Rumah Belajar, so once there was a vocational lesson, we just moved to the next building," he said. Indeed, many children took advantage of RB, so the number of students increased rapidly, which made the space feel tighter. While Renaldi was happily studying, he was faced with a stumbling block. Renaldi’s family’s home, which was originally in Gandaria area, South Jakarta, was moved to Serpong, Banten. "Initially, I just needed to ride TransJakarta, suddenly I had to ride the commuter line first, and then took the TransJakarta bus. The commuting time was longer and the fare became more expensive," he said. 

Although he was troubled because of the change of residence, the spirit of Renaldi to continue school remained high. His principle is: 'if you have stepped forward, never look back and do not stop in the middle of the road '. With his belief in YCAB's good credibility, Renaldi was determined to finish his education. "It is unlikely that I could get all the knowledge I gained, including the courses I attended in Rumah Belajar, from other schools. Why? Because in Rumah Belajar, the fee was almost free," Renaldi explained. Therefore, Renaldi learned earnestly.

The Dream Job

In 2015 Renaldi graduated from RB. New problems confronted him. Renaldi wanted to work, but he did not yet have a Citizen Identity Card (KTP). "Creating an ID card costs a lot. We could not afford it. My dad and mom had no ID and Family Card (KK)," Renaldi explained. Having no choice, the man who loved technology and science chose to do nothing at home, while looking for a way to find work.

Luckily, Retno, the YCAB’s sports teacher contacted him. "Retno is a good person. She knew my circumstances and offered me a job at the YCAB office," Renaldi said. He of course did not waste the golden opportunity. Although he didn’t quite like his first assignment, Renaldi accepted the job offer. To him, the job was promising. "It felt awful to be unemployed for three months. It was a blessing to be able to work," he said. 

Initially Renaldi was assigned to the Marketing and Communication (Marcom) department. "I felt like I was forcing myself. Fortunately, a few months after that my supervisor Mr. Greg recognized  my potential in the IT field. Finally, I was moved to the IT, Information System department. I was very happy," Renaldi said with sparkling eyes. In RB, Renaldi learned everything about hardware. "However, now, I am in charge of software, among others is to update the YCAB website content. So now I have to learn programming. Whenever there is spare time, I use it to learn programming to utilize my skills," said Renaldi.

For Renaldi, learning something new is not a problem. "Any science would be useful though it might not currently be applicable. Someday it will do some good. For an example, if a computer is broken, I can fix it myself, there’s no need to spend extra money for repairs," Renaldi explained. "After getting a job, I feel happier. If my sibling asks for snacks, I can buy some and if my parents ask for money, I can help," he added. Renaldi's happiness was evident when he and his parents now have KTP and KK. Being part of the YCAB family is greatly appreciated by Renaldi. "The family culture at YCAB office is very strong. 

When someone left, it felt like parting with family or relatives, not colleagues," said Renaldi. Then asked if he still has a dream for his future, he replied, "Yes, but I’m not sure. My dreams are still changing." He added that he is currently enjoying the learning process of programming languages. "So, now, my goal is to be a good programmer, because a programmer can create a new programming language. In fact, it’s possible that a programmer becomes a software scientist. I want to be a scientist," the avid reader optimistically stated.