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 The
Wijaya Foundation |
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The
Wijaya Foundation was established to
improve the quality of young children's life
through non-formal education with community
participation, and has set up a community learning
center in remote Northern Bali. It is located
in the local community of Desa Celagi, on the
shores of Northern Bali, a small rural agricultural
and fishermen's community. It is a local place
of learning outside of the formal education
system, set up and managed by local people in
order to provide various learning opportunities
for community development and improvement of
the quality of life. It is physically located
in an open-air community center where the community
elders have regular meetings on all aspects
of community life. Whereas the elders meet there
to discuss the immediate needs of the community,
the teaching also accommodates the same immediate
needs.
This
pilot project initiated at the grassroots provides
low cost teaching aids and non-formal school
management. It aims at providing an alternative
to the formal educational system by providing
free-of-charge classes of literacy, arts and
Balinese culture, environmental awareness and
any other topic of interest to the community.
The
basis of its success lies in community work:
planning a community based teaching program
in consultation with the children, the volunteer
teachers (students on holiday and after-hours
from the High School in the neighbouring village)
and the community itself.
Although
most the young students do go to the local formal
school, their interest in the lessons offered
is aroused by the use of innovative materials
and teaching techniques and by the fact that
they can freely choose to study the objects
of the community's or of their own interest:
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Use
of modern and colourful books as opposed to
the traditional schoolbooks. These books and
manuals are not on sale in this part of Bali,
and, even if they were, would not be within
the purchase power of the kid's parents;
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Literacy
and study of scientific and social subjects
become a topic for discussions;
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In
order to ensure attentive and individually
studying the topics of their own interest
(at their own choice), each child makes a
presentation on the subject they studied to
the others in the group;
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A
well regarded classic Balinese dancer also
provides traditional Balinese dancing lessons,
as a contribution to safe-guarding Balinese
culture . Occasionally the children perform
for the community, to their parents' delight.
On such occasions small voluntary donations
are collected from the community;
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The
teaching also consists of role play, drama,
music, poetry and play;
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Oral
traditions in the Balinese language, which
run the risk of slowly disappearing are revived
by inviting the elders to tell these stories
which are recorded and subsequently transcribed
in the original Balinese language, using its
own characters; this includes also the teaching
of the Balinese alphabet and language;
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A
number of topics which do not come immediately
to the mind of the community members or which
they are reluctant to mention as one of their
interests are environmental education (combined
with practical training, including cleaning
up their immediate environment), but also
issues such as children's rights, and equal
rights for all people, regardless of gender,
race, national, cultural and religious background,
and sexual orientation. These issues are addressed
at the very basic and informal level, in a
way acceptable and comprehensible for all,
including the elders of this very traditional
community; the same issues are first taught
to the volunteer teachers, at a more advanced
level, who in their turn, pass it on to the
kids at a more basic level. These issues are
important and of immediate need, since they
can be seen on a daily basis in the national
TV, magazines and newspapers, which are more
directed to an urban clientele but obviously
also reach the more isolated traditional communities.
These issues are often regarded by the local
community as "strange" or "very
special", whereas they are an integral
part of the smallest societies and should
not be ignored, disregarded or oppressed.
The familiarization with these topics prepares
the children for a more modern, open minded
and urbanized life style and small, rural
communities should not be deprived of these
basic rights;
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They
also learn about other cultures and civilizations,
across Indonesia, Asia and the rest of the
world to widen their horizons, as the children
and in fact the whole community often has
a very limited and often wrong perception
of other societies.
Children
can register with the consent of their parents
for each one of the courses offered.
The
learning center is not just a learning center
for young children who familiarize themselves
with a wide range of subjects of their own choice
and as chosen by their parents and the local
community, but is also a non-formal practical
on-the-spot training of secondary school students
who are interested in teaching young children
within their own community. They devise themselves
activities and develop material during the courses
they provide, keeping in mind that the children
are at the primary level and the main beneficiaries
of the Wijaya Foundation.
Besides
learning new subjects and traditional arts,
English is also taught to the kids, regardless
of their age, as they are all at the same grass
roots level when it comes to English. This is
a unique experience where children of different
ages study together the same subject, showing
a great deal of enthusiasm and interest. And
whereas young teenagers may feel "superior"
when it comes to more regular subjects, in English
classes the younger kids quite often perform
better and assist the older ones. It is also
a very popular subject for the voluntary teachers
who have here a rare opportunity to use their
basic English language skills and other knowledge
acquired in the formal school.
The
volunteer teachers receive separate training
in classroom management, lesson planning, and
advanced English. Furthermore, a small library
has been established where teachers can loan
books as a compensation for their efforts. There
is no formal library in the community and most
students also contribute to the library by providing
their own books, novels and magazines to the
library, making them available to others.
The
non-profit and charitable Wijaya Foundation
was created and funded by Pak Mock, a native
from Northern Bali, and his life-partner Nick;
it is by and large also financially supported
by revenues from "Unseen Bali". Booking
through "Unseen Bali" is making an
indirect financial contribution to the community
learning center in Desa Celagi. Visitors to
Bali with a genuine interest in the above can
arrange a visit through "Unseen Bali"
and high standard accommodation nearby can be
arranged.
The
Wijaya Foundation will be grateful for your
interest and support. For more information,
you may contact us through our e-mail address
at : wijaya@unseenbali.com.
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Warmest
Regards,
The Wijaya Foundation |
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Copyright@2005-2006 www.unseenbali.com