Ujung Kulon: Teacher Volunteer With Wanderlust Indonesia

A week ago, before Ramadhan start, finally I had a chance to join Wanderlust Indonesia Program. For this time the program is full for volunteering as an english teacher and computer. Ha! That’s why this posting is in english ;) practice makes perfect too right even for us? 

The program was held at Ujung Kulon, sub-district Sumur; Paniis Village to teach fun english for elementary school students, and Taman Jaya Village to teach english and computer skill for junior high school students from June 13 until 16. 

On night of June 12, we gathered at the meeting point, Slipi Jaya, before we began our journey to Ujung Kulon.

I was warned by Syahira and (again) from the itinerary that the journey would be... very rough because of the road was completely damaged. I could only imagined when me and Dini went to Cunca Wulang using motorbike last year. Hmmm, I guess it won’t be that rough. And yes it was not that rough! BUT... since we sat with 1-4-2 position in Inova (for the back seat there are two people PLUS an old style computer which you know how BIG the screen and the CPU is ouu yeah baby!!) and the journey took 6,5 hours so.. yeah we were exhausted. We slept in every position we could. The driver also started expletive when we reached Sumur––where the damaged road began until we arrived at Taman Jaya.

11 p.m – 5.30 am and finally we arrived at Taman Jaya, yee-ha! First thing first: breakfast time!!! We ate uduk rice before went snorkelling at Badul Island –– Like an old proverb said, Tak Kenal Maka Tak Sayang, this was bonding time for us, since we will be together for the next 3 days.

I was a bit panic there since the last time I went diving and snorkelling was about.... two years ago! HA! but the adaptation took no long when we moved to the second spot I swum like a mermaid ye-ha!! (mermaid or ninja on the sea bcause from head to toe I wore all black! it’s not recommended because it will make you thirsty faster in a very very sunny day!). Mas Ameer, the birthday man, also had a panic attack! It was his first time on his life FINALLY try snorkelling––and now he’s addicted on it.

After satisfied enough, we returned to Taman Jaya and prepare to teach fun english method for Junior High School students. We taught them in tutoring place behind Mr. Ramli’s house, the headmaster of SMPN 2 Sumur, at Bimbingan Belajar Anak Nusantara Cahaya Ujung Kulon. Also, the co-founder of Wanderlust Indonesia, our ranger, Dini and Fany, will donate computer to Bimbingan Belajar Anak Nusantara Cahaya Ujung Kulon for their preparation in learning computer skill. We also shopping (yuhuuu!) for little gift for excel students. We bought the gift from the donation that Wanderlust Indonesia, collected from generous wanderers out there. It will be awarded in June 16, along with their graduation ceremony at SMPN 2 Sumur.

They were very very smart students!! Mr. Ramli said that in school they were forced to memorize english for academic purpose. There’s a high hope from him that by this volunteer program will make them understand what they've been taught in school and use it in their daily life. Simple things like pronunciation, knowing the family tree in english (e.g mother, father, sister in-law, etc), how to spell it correctly in english pronunciation, and many more. It’s a bit hard to correct their spelling since they always mistaken between F,V and P––well it’s a common challenge for Sundanese people, we cannot blame anyone :P 

We spent a day to teach them until evening, and some of us had sleepover with them. Funny quote Dini made for this moment “Semalam bersama, seumur hidup menginspirasi” okay it sounds wrong hahaha!

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The next day, we went to Paniis Village, where we will teaching fun english for elementary students. These kids are so cute!!!! Cuteness overload here! We went to Paniis using Tosa. We studied in two places, at our homestay and little forest near the rice fields. We learned name of colors, animals, fruits, and number. The constraint was the same; mistaken between F,V, and P sometimes worse––they always said anything began from F like one of my, Fany and Astari student name Didin, he said fred instead of red. It’s challenging for us in a funny way. There were 3 sessions; Morning session we learned about colors, number, fruits. Afternoon session we learned about animals and in the evening we had... ‘exam’ quizzz (lotsa gift and chocolate)!!!

This day two, with so many energetic little kids, was very exhausted yet fun! They were very eager to learn. They love to read books! Most of them love to read astronomy book. They were very enthusiast on everything. Despite on their age which caused them (sometimes) easily got cranky, but I am so amazed by their positive energy. 

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The next morning, before we returned to Taman Jaya to teach computer skill and prepared the students of Bimbingan Belajar Anak Nusantara Cahaya Ujung Kulon’s performance for their Junior High School Graduation event for the next day, we visited local craft man who made a book shelf near our homestay. It was also one of project from Wanderlust with locals (bravo!). As you can see on the picture above, their books were put in cartons. Kang Hendra said that it was better for them to make their own book shelf than shipping Olympic to Paniis; way more cheaper and they have great woods here! Nice!!

In Computer Skill Class, Taman Jaya, Mas Ameer became our lead teacher. His Microsoft T-Shirt “Proud To Be A Geek” explained everything––he loves technology and he knows a lot about computer thingy. So, for the warming up session he explained everything that we need to know about computer; input, output etc. They learned that too in school, but, they only learned the theory. Here, after Mas Ameer ended his warming up session, they divided in three groups to practice Ms. Word. What they typed was their english speech; their writing on our last class session about family tree.

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Last day, the BIG day. We are so honoured being invited by Mr. Ramli to the biggest event at Taman Jaya: The graduation day for 9th grade of SMP 2 Sumur. Did you know? the teacher who licensed as government employee here are only.... THREE!! Mr. Ramli originally from Timor Timur, and he finished his bachelor’s degree at Gorontalo and here he dedicated his life to make students from the very west Java become a better students––smarter and not afraid to reach their dream by providing a great education for them. 

Nyawer, tradition where parents/someone who related to students give money, chicken, or everything that they promised (nazar/vow in islam) when their child doing well in school and get top 3 in class. When the students still have parents, the money from saweran will put into the box, dedicated to their teacher in school, if an orphan it will dedicated for themselves.

Bimbingan Belajar Anank Nusantara Cahaya Ujung Kulon’s performance was beyond our expectation. Their constraint of pronunciation disappeared! they speak like a pro! we’re so proud of them. And for us who join this program this is also become a “spiritual journey”, we learned (and be reminded by) something that despite our hectic routines, our obstacle in life, sometimes we forget to still be thankful for what we have and sparks more the positive energy––like them, Cahaya Ujung Kulon :)

Are you interested to join this program? Let’s sign up for the next batch and see the details at http://idwanderlust.com/ukvolunteer it will be held in 4-5 July 2015 (weekend teacher ramadhan series).

Let’s be a hero for them!! Your footprint, matters!




*) Some photos are not mine, we gathered as for the purpose of the documentation activities.