Commemorating the first anniversary of the #iamchange campaign, Happy Hearts Indonesia aims to rebuild 30 schools in NTT this year. Jakarta, March 18, 2019 – Happy Hearts Indonesia (HHI), a non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding improper schools in Indonesia, began the school rebuilding project in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in 2016. Recognizing the great need for proper schools and learning facilities in NTT, in March 2018, HHI launched the #iamchange campaign that aims to rebuild 200 schools in the area. One year since the campaign was launched, HHI successfully rebuilt 21 schools across the three main islands of NTT, namely West Timor, Sumba and Flores. Thus, from a total of 21 schools rebuilt, more than 1,400 children in NTT have been receiving the positive impact of this program. The availability of safe and comfortable classrooms equipped with decent learning facilities not only increases the effectiveness of learning activities but also students’ learning interest and parents’ awareness about the importance of education. “With a new and proper building, children are freer to play. Teachers have also become more enthusiastic since various educational toys are provided,” said Paulina Mbaung, a teacher at PAUD Satar Walang, one of the schools that were rebuilt last year in Kabupaten Manggarai Barat, Flores. Furthermore, the #iamchange campaign has also positively impacted the teachers from early childhood education schools in Sumba and West Timor. In collaboration with ReachOut Foundation and Ruang Berbagi Ilmu, 280 teachers in Sumba Barat Daya and Kota Kupang have received capacity building training for early childhood educators. As a result, better administration and financial management, as well as various creative learning methods, have been implemented in a number of schools involved in the training. Additionally, 11 teachers who received the training certificate from the previous training have been chosen to take part in a national-level training for early childhood educators, to be held in Jakarta. In addition to teacher training, the #iamchange campaign also provides Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) training and runs the Happy Kids program to maximize its efforts in improving the quality of early childhood education in NTT. Through WASH training, children are trained to develop the habit of washing hands and maintaining school hygiene. Meanwhile, the Happy Kids program provides school uniforms, nutritious food, health examination, and facilitates environmental days. This series of activities are currently running at two pre-schools in Sumba Barat Daya with a total of 92 students as the beneficiary. Based on HHI records, thanks to the Happy Kids nutritious food program, 96% of the total students experienced a weight gain of 0.5 – 1.6 Kg in the first two months of 2019. Furthermore, in order to increase children’s interest in reading, HHI also provides and manages three mini libraries located in Sumba Barat Daya. These libraries are also expected to be a learning and community centre that can be used to hold a variety of community development activities. One of the activities that have been running is an English class for children. In 2019, Happy Hearts Indonesia aims to rebuild 30 schools under the #iamchange campaign. According to the CEO of Happy Hearts Indonesia, Sylvia Beiwinkler, the providence of proper educational facilities in NTT needs special attention if we want to seriously improve the quality of education and end the poverty in the area. Happy Hearts Indonesia believes that quality education is one of the most important factors in eradicating the cycle of poverty.
