Disaster Response Indonesia Project #23204

YOU are the KEY

by Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa Foundation

Project Report | Oct 2, 2017
Pursuing Passion with Determination

By Gregory Stretton | project leader

Marta.

Life's experiences have made her become a strong and independent person.

Since she was still in elementary school, Marta no longer lived with her sister and her parents in Medan. she joined her aunt, Clara Manurung, and her grandpa in Jakarta. Auntie clara supported her niece, because her parents were less supportive of Marta in continuing her studying. So, Marta could go from elementary school all the way to junior high school in Jakarta at the expense of Clara and her grandpa. Unfortunately, after Marta graduated from junior high school, her grandpa sadly passed away.

"I initially wanted to continue to SMAN 17, but I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish school, because I didn’t have enough money," said Marta. Her aunt then mentioned to Marta about Rumah Belajar (RB) Duri Kepa, which is managed by Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB). Marta was very interested to join after visiting RB Duri Kepa. The most important thing to Marta was to continue to go to school, wherever it was, it didn’t really matter.

Rumah Belajar

According to Marta, learning in Rumah Belajar was the same as formal school, both in terms of studying hours and subjects. To Marta, studying in Rumah Belajar had many benefits. "Rumah Belajar’s location was close from home, so I just walked to school," said Marta. In addition to the location, there were also other advantages. "I could go to school and take the courses for only Rp 10.000 a month," said Marta. "The classrooms are all air-conditioned, making them more comfortable," she added.

Because of her intelligence, Martha became the best in her classes from grade 1 all the way to grade 3. So, naturally she was able to tutor her neighbor who was still sitting in junior high school. She earned money from teaching. Despite her modest income, Marta was quite happy, even taking pride in her work when the neighbor was able to attend the public school she had been dreaming of.

During her third year, a Rumah Belajar teacher, Mrs. Eva, offered Martha a job as a saleswoman. Marta accepted the job joyfully. The job increased her income. Marta was also actively looking for other opportunities. She often participated in competitions held at school, including a writing contest. "I once won Rp250.000. Not bad. I could use the money to pay for schooling, exams, and other things," explained the young woman born on October 10, 1993.

In addition to school, Marta attended a computer course at Rumah Belajar. "There were basic and intermediate levels. For intermediate level, the test was done in Bina Nusantara (Binus) University," said Marta, who has received four certificates for Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, and Windows exams.

Struggling from Scratch

Graduating from Rumah Belajar in 2012, Marta attended a job fair held by YCAB. She was accepted at a BCA’s (Bank of Central Asian) partner company that fills in a multi filing position in a Consumer Credit Business Unit (UBKK). "I felt lucky, because the computer course was very useful. It turned out to be one of several considerations," Marta revealed. After working for a year, Marta felt ready to go to college. She enrolled in Esa Unggul University. Her salary as an employee was enough to pay for college. "I could also buy a motorcycle. When payday comes, I immediately apportion my income, to pay for tuition, rent, motorcycle installment, and a little for bit for food," said Marta with eyes sparkling.

Showing devotion to her parents, she always sent money over to Medan. Now she’s relieved and happy because the motorcycle installments have been paid off. Still in college, Marta now works at Sutramas Line, a distributor in West Jakarta. Her work schedule is from Monday to Saturday. While her college schedule is Friday night, Saturday afternoon starting at 1pm, and Sunday morning till night. "Actually I have work until 2pm on Saturdays, but I am given permission to leave early. I replace the hours by working overtime," said Marta.

Juggling a very busy schedule between work and college, Marta admits that sometimes she feels exhausted. However, her aunt always reminds her to never give up. She is also very motivated to believe in herself and she encourages herself that everything she has been doing will definitely be useful in the future. "My principle is it's better to lose my youth than to lose the future. If I lose my future, I will not be able to go back in time," Marta said firmly. "I still have time to meet with friends, though I limit the time," she continued.

Pursuing Passion

"Many people underestimate me because of my Package C diploma, but I do not feel inferior. After all, I also have learned English, computer, and a little bit of web design skills. I also have a permanent job," said Marta. She knows of many people who went to a 'regular school' who did not necessarily have all those abilities; this was something that made Marta relentlessly thankful that she had attended Rumah Belajar.

Because Rumah Belajar had been really helpful for her, Marta also invited her neighbors who had economic difficulties to enter Rumah Belajar. "My neighbor dropped out of school. Then she joined and took a sewing course. Last time I heard, she had graduated and now works full time," explained Marta. "At least she now has the skills to be independent," she continued. According to Marta, motivational sessions from her seniors were one of the things that helped her grow in confidence. Before graduating, Marta met Fitri, her senior. Fitri worked at McDonald's and had traveled overseas. "If she can do it, I can, too." Marta also admired Rumah Belajar Duri Kepa's headmaster, Mr. Firza, who always motivated his students.

With the success she has achieved, does she have more wishes? "Now, I am still focused on completing my thesis. But I aspire to have my own business. The distribution company who I work for now is very inspiring. It had gone bankrupt due to fire, but it was able to rise again, successful as ever. I am very impressed. Hopefully my wish to have my own business can be realized," said Marta optimistically.

"It is better to lose my youth than to lose the future. If I lose the future, I won’t be able to go back in time.''

Marta has the drive and ambition to make a good life for herself, with your Donations, other young men and women can have the chance at a decent life. It costs a lot to keep the doors open at our 55 learning houses. We need your help to keep on giving as many young people a better start in adulthood. Please donate what you can, try a monthly direct debit, you will miss the money at first, but you will be doing so much good for the people who really need you. Become an 'ANGEL of CHANGE'

Thank you one and all.

Greg.

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Sep 22, 2017
Regretting Fate is Useless

By Greg Stretton | Project leader

Helping his mother in the stall, selling phone credits, all the way to driving a motorcycle taxi, Ruyani had done it all.

In terms of income, he felt that what he earned was enough. The alumnus of MAN Cikarang high school graduated in 2007 was not able to freely move like other youth. The story began after Ruyani graduated high school. His mother asked him to get some guava fruit growing at his house. "I fell from a height of about 5 meters, because of my carelessness. I fell and landed sitting down, so my hip bones cracked," Ruyani recalled the event back in 2007.

After the incident, I was taken to the hospital. "From the x-rays, I knew that my hip bones were broken. It should be operated," said Ruyani. "But, because it was expensive, I did not do it. My dad had no money, so I just underwent treatments with traditional medicine and had my hip massaged," he added.

Time passed, and months later, Ruyani did not show any sign of recovering. "After three months with no progress, I finally stopped the treatment," he said. Because of his frequent pain, Ruyani ended up staying more at home. But he really wanted to work. Fortunately, his mother had a small shop in the house that sold fried food and snacks. "I helped keep the shop with my brother from 2007 to 2012," he said. Bright hope began to appear when his father finally approved his sister's suggestion for Ruyani to be operated on. "After surgery in March 2012, I felt much better, even though my posture was still not perfect," he said.

Learning new things will not go in vain, someday it will be useful for our lives

"My brother was working so hard, and saved Rp500.000 ($38) my brother gave this to me to set up a small business selling phone credits. Then, I made a small kiosk with my father near my house. After that, I was given capital of Rp300.000 from my father," Ruyani continued.

Looking for New Things

Although his income was enough to live, Ruyani was not satisfied. Something was troubling him. He wanted to go back to school. Around the year end of 2013, Ruyani's dream came true thanks to Rumah Belajar Samsung managed by Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB). "Once Rumah Belajar Samsung was established in 2013, there was a social gathering. The goal was to invite teenagers and young people to attend courses in Rumah Belajar. But I ended up learning about Rumah Belajar Samsung from my friend, Buchori. He was the one who asked me to study in Rumah Belajar," Ruyani recounted his introduction to Rumah Belajar. After being informed, the ninth child of 12 siblings from H Abdul Choer and the late Hj Nurjanah enrolled himself in Rumah Belajar. "I am the second generation to study there. The courses started from May to September 2014," he said.

The reason to join the course was to utilize vocational skills to become more independent. "There were mobile repair service as well as home appliances repair courses for refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. In addition, there were computer network service and computer network courses," said the single man whose hobby is fishing. "But, I chose to learn about mobile phones, because I already had a little bit of experience. When I was working at the phone credit kiosk, I learned about mobile phones from Google," Ruyani explained.

Eager to study, he enthusiastically participated in the course. There was not the slightest intention of skipping his classes. Ruyani absorbed all the knowledge gained from his teachers in Rumah Belajar. "Actually, the schedule was only twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday, from 1pm to 5pm; four hours in each meeting. But, I came to Rumah Belajar almost every day," said the man who was born on August 24, 1989. "I really did not want to miss a lesson. Instead, I just wanted to quickly master the science of mobile phone repair services and deepened or repeated the lessons that had been given. So I never skipped classes," he explained.

Armed with knowledge from Rumah Belajar, Ruyani felt a tremendous change in his life. "I felt that I learned so much from Rumah Belajar. What did not exist in Google, I got the answer from my teachers in Rumah Belajar," he stated "In my experience, basic knowledge could be learned from Google. But, if you wanted to excel, you must take on some courses," he continued.

Ruyani added that interest and seriousness were crucial. "In my first course, we were a group of 25 people; 60 percent male, and 40 percent female," he said,

"I still have many dreams, like adding more counters, so I can accommodate Rumah Belajar graduates who are still unemployed."

Ruyani loved the way the course was not just all theory, but hands on. "In practice, we were challenged to disassemble mobile phones. Of course, I was nervous. I was worried that the mobile phone would be broken, while they were not even mine," he said with a smile. "Yes, you must be brave. My teacher also said, 'it's okay, if we don’t try, we will never know." And so I was confident to practice. But, I broke two mobile phones in the process, "he admitted.

"I believe, mother would be happy if she was here to see me now,"

Now Ruyani opens a mobile phone repair service near his house, in addition to selling phone credits. Of course his income is much higher than when he was just starting out. He can save some money, buy a motorcycle, and help his family. "I still want to open more counters in order to help my friends from Rumah Belajar," he said wisely. "In addition, I will follow the home appliance course to add knowledge and open up a new business," said Ruyani with great enthusiasm. Ruyani only has one regret. He said with great sadness showing in his eyes "My mother passed away in 2009, so she cannot see me who is already independent. However, I believe, mother would be happy if she was here to see me now," he said.

Today, hundreds of thousands of bright and very capable young Indonesians face many hurdles just getting through each day, with your help, support and donations, we can help change many more lives like Ruyani. your support is vital to these young people.

Help us to help them, Donate now, and become "An ANGEL of CHANGE''

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Sep 14, 2017
Fighting to change destiny

By Greg Stretton | Project leader

Equipped with education, anybody can become independent for sure

Asep could not forget the feelings in his heart while reminiscing upon the events of many years ago. At that time, he could not do much when he had to drop out of school. In fact, he was diligent and enthusiastic and enjoyed having a taste of studying for a semester in High School (SMA).

Despite his passionate learning spirits, his dreams ran aground when his dad declared that he could no longer afford his schooling. Asep had no other choice but to leave school because he really understood about his father's unpredictable income as a construction worker. However, it is not life; if it only contains misfortune. Life spins like a wheel. For Asep, the wheel of fortune turned towards him when he found out about Rumah Belajar.(House of Learning) Rumah Belajar is a program run by Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa Foundation (YCAB). It was initiated in 2003, and in Rumah Belajar, school dropouts can take the basic education programs Package A, Package B, and Package C. Rumah Belajar spreads over 33 cities in Indonesia, including Bandung, Banjarmasin, Banyuwangi, Denpasar, Jakarta, Makassar, Medan, And Situbondo.

Rumah Belajar focuses on the equality of education and skills. School-aged children who have problems paying for their studies get basic education in accordance to their abilities. In addition, Rumah Belajar also opens courses tailored to the different regions, including computer, hair and beauty, mechanics, and repair of electronic equipment. The goal is for students to be independent.

"Only by paying Rp10.000 I could get a lot of useful knowledge. I won a lot!"

"I was informed by a friend. He said he had a sibling who went to school in Rumah Belajar," recalled Asep. He then finished high school, and took the Package C program. He took the program for two and a half years. "The cost was very affordable. It was only Rp10.000 a month (Less than a Dollar). The facilities in Rumah Belajar were extremely complete. There was even a special laboratory. It was a very good experience. I won a lot," Asep added with a chuckle. "The presumption of many people was that Package C students only come to study once a week. It’s not true. In Rumah Belajar, school was from Monday to Friday; from morning till noon. So, it was just like the regular school in general," said Asep. "There were many advantages in attending Rumah Belajar. After school, we could join the courses that we were interested in," he continued.

Basically, Asep's desire to move forward was passionate. He did not want to waste the opportunity. Through a program equipped with these facilities, Asep further equipped himself with language skill. "In the past, I was totally unable to speak English. However, after the course, it has got better. I’m still not very fluent, but I can do it," he said proudly. Armed with a high school diploma and foreign language skills, he graduated from Rumah Belajar, Asep had found an opportunity to do an internship in a visual arts studio. He acquired new skills like how to properly operate a video camera, sound recording and the development of an artistic eye for motion and camera angles.

With his skills and diplomas, he became one of dozens of YCAB employees. He is now a photographer and videographer for YCAB events. With his job he has the opportunity to travel around to many cities, adding to his experiences. "Sometimes, I was involved in several projects at once," Asep said happily.

Full of Good Memories

On various occasions, Asep always tries to disseminate information about the benefits that can be obtained while studying in Rumah Belajar. There are at least two things he always conveys. In addition to the quality of the lecturers and facilities, Asep also mentions the quality of the curriculum used in Rumah Belajar.

A very memorable experience for Asep was when he did performing arts. Asep and his friends were working on a play about the dangers of drugs. "Unexpectedly, the play was very well appreciated," he said with a proud expression. Asep will not forget that moment. "I really felt appreciated. It was very memorable for me," he said excitedly.

The quality of lecturers in Rumah Belajar is very good. They are all professionals.

The teachers in Rumah Belajar gave lasting impressions for Asep. According to him, the teachers there are all highly qualified and professional. In fact, Asep was once taught directly by a native speaker learning English. Of course, this made him more excited. "Qualified, professional lecturers as well as great facilities will produce excellent students. Of course, we as the recipient of the materials must also be dedicated," he said wisely.

Since 2005, YCAB's Rumah Belajar has been working with Bina Nusantara Foundation,(Indonesian University) especially for computer and English course materials, ensuring that in the field of computer and English, the students in Rumah Belajar have qualified competency standards.

Thanks to Rumah Belajar, Asep’s life is forever changed. He does not want to say that he is already successful, but at least he has a provision to achieve a brighter future. Who would have thought, children who had dropped out of school, now can have a fixed income and can help their families "I suggest, if money is a problem, go to Rumah Belajar. The fee is very affordable, but the facilities are also no less than any other expensive courses. And if you are a student in Rumah Belajar, make the most of it," he said wisely.

Please help us, to keep on helping all these wonderful young children to dream big. To live successful, happy and healthy lives, your donations mean the world to us, as they are used them to bring the world to them.

Thank you.

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