Beyond Boundaries

Our motto over the past few months... Our students have not only collaborated with other children beyond their own classrooms but have even competed internationally against students from all over the world. Thanks to new internet technology and new infrastructure, we have been able to overcome boundaries (both literally and figuratively) in many other ways. And in the summary of the past few months, you find out how:

Networking with Children from Other Regions of Raja Ampat:

As part of the National Education Day in Indonesia, we invited another school from West Papua to celebrate the day together. For our students, who otherwise have little interaction with children from other villages or schools, this exchange with their peers was very valuable and important. The day was concluded with a sporting event. In pouring raind, the two schools competed against each other in a volleyball tournament. The volleyball-enthusiastic children from Child Aid Papua emerged as winners from the field with thunderous applause. In the end however, everyone cheered because it was a very successful and enjoyable event.

Additionally, our students independently organized a gallery as part of the "Empower Better Education for Papua" initiative, where environmental topics were presented in English to interested tourists through self-created presentations. Besides the numerous visitors, we also invited two more schools from other islands. This platform was used to explore and openly discuss the challenges of education in Papua. We are convinced that only by actively involving children in these topics and discussing the challenges among themselves, a sustainably better educational future can be achieved for the children of West Papua.

News from Natan: From locally Freshly Squeezed Juices to the International Stage, Thanks to Digital Marketing:

We’ve heard a lot about Natan already. Two years ago, he literally made history by winning first place in a national writing contest. Additionally, Natan’s self-founded juice business has made headlines in our news blog in the past: by selling freshly squeezed fruit juices to thirsty tourists, he financed his first laptop. With that very laptop, he entered another competition. This time, however, he ventured onto the international stage and impressed everyone. Through a web presentation, he showcased his previously submitted written work on digital marketing for his “Juice Business,” outshining competitors from Vietnam, South Korea, and the USA. Congratulations on achieving 2nd place, Natan! We are very proud of this inspiring achievement.

A Bit of Elon Musk in Sawinggrai

Opinions about the Tesla founder may be controversial, but he has certainly made our lives much easier in recent months. With his satellite internet service, Starlink, we now have a very stable and sustainable internet connection for the first time in the history of Child Aid Papua. The latter is because Starlink has positively impacted our operational costs, making it cheaper than the previously unreliable alternative. The fast and stable internet connection has not only immensely simplified our daily teaching but also made management activities much more efficient, particularly communication with our global partners and our parent organization in Switzerland.

More Space for Schoolchildren from Other Islands Thanks to the Boarding School

To meet the high demand for education at Child Aid Papua’s Environmental School and to make our offerings accessible to children outside Sawinggrai, we have built additional facilities. These primarily serve as dormitories for children who cannot go home after school. The boarding school is now complete and will, in the future, provide two dormitories with accommodation for 16 boys and 16 girls, totaling 32 beds, including sanitary facilities. For now, the second dormitory is being used as a classroom to accommodate another class until we hopefully inaugurate the new Blue Ocean school building next year. We cannot wait to soon have the additional space. Our educational offerings are gaining interest far beyond Sawinggrai’s borders. This popularity has bittersweet consequences: more and more parents want to enroll their children with us, which is an incredible sign of confidence in our educational concept. However, the more applications we receive, the more we have to refuse, as our infrastructure cannot keep up with the demand. Drawing this line is a tremendously difficult task.

Oceania 2.0

For the second time, Child Aid Papua has hosted the Oceania project. After last year’s successful first run, the government’s tourism department had promised to continue the project this year, and they kept their word. This time, we were asked to train not only tourist guides but also for dive guides. Over three days, 30 guides improved their English skills, particularly through practical training. The Oceania project is not only an important achievement but also fosters collaboration with authorities, which is crucial for the acceptance of our school concept. Additionally, it provides valuable financial support to sustain our Environmental School.