Education by Region - East Bali
360-Degree Solution for Songan
Songan is a district in the Mt. Batur crater in Northeast Bali. Many of the adults in the community are illiterate having worked as labourers from a young age in the market gardens. Subsequently most of the population in Songan live in extreme poverty. There is some tourism work available to those with language skills etc, but formal employment in this district is very minimal. Average life expectancy is only 59 years, which is incredibly low compared to the developed world.
Since 2017 Bali Children Foundation has supported the education of 716 children in three schools in the Songan District: SDN 2, SDN 5 and SDN 6. By giving these children a solid education, we are giving them and their families opportunities for a better future.
We work in the government schools and have considerably upgraded the school buildings, teaching Remedial Literacy: Reading, Writing and Numeracy, English as a Foreign Language and S.T.E.M classes.
Remedial Literacy: Reading, Writing and Numeracy
As a result of Covid, we’ve had to go back and work with Grades 1 – 3 who missed out on two years of face-to-face education - with no internet and devices to follow any online schooling. To rebuild the children's foundational skills, we’ve introduced remedial writing, reading and numeracy - with fun audio-visual materials delivered in exciting libraries and facilities we have built over the last year.
English as a Foreign Language
Bali Children Foundation delivers a student-centric English program for Grades 4 to 12. Our classes emphasise spoken and listening English which are essential skills for future employment in Bali. The BCF curriculum is enhanced with videos and presented via a 55-inch smart TV or projector. The engaging technology includes native speakers conversing in English, and for Elementary students, fun English songs and games. EFL classes provide students with consistent curriculum standards, regardless of the school's remote location.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M)
STEM classes for Grades 4 to 6. Unlike traditional education experiences in which subject areas are handled separately, STEM education emphasises technology and integrated subjects to connect disciplines and relate them to each other.
STEM provides remote Elementary school children access to computer learning and has a robust problem-solving emphasis. The Bali Children Foundation curriculum considers environmentally friendly sustainable solutions to many community challenges, including access to water, water safety, sustainable energy, waste management, forestry and soil conservation.
Infant Malnutrition
While working in Songan, we discovered that the children who came into the school at six years old for Grade 1 had very poor concentration capacity. We’ve been aware of this for quite some time, and we expected that over a couple of years it would slowly improve, the children would build their ability to concentrate, and we’ll be able to teach them effectively.
But it wasn’t until Marg Barry met with Ibu Kartika Soekarno that we understood that these learning and behavioural issues went back to a problem of infant malnutrition. We’ve realised it’s all very well trying to teach a child at Grade 5, but when the child has been impacted by malnutrition and has an underdeveloped brain, it would be much better if we went back to birth or pregnancy and helped the mother develop a child that is well-nourished and able to learn properly.
In collaboration with Kartika Soekarno Foundation, we revitalised the work of Posyandu (Mother and Infant Baby Healthcare) in Songan. Investing in the first thousand days of a child’s life is crucial as it directly impacts their growth and development.
At the Posyandu, the infant gets weighed, and their height is checked. They receive vitamins, deworming medicine and relevant vaccinations. We also provide cooking classes to teach the mothers about nutrition, cooking and the correct timing of solids etc.
Throughout 2022 the twenty most vulnerable families received monthly nutritious food packs for their younger children.
Identifying families with the most vulnerable infants and toddlers is vital. Bali Children Foundation, through its existing scholarship survey program, is well placed to do this and then act on this information respectfully and effectively.
If we take a 360-degree approach to the problem in Songan, starting from infancy, through twelve years of schooling, and assisting children in finding their way to employment, then together we can solve the poverty crisis in the Songan District.
Already we are seeing results from our work in the district, with three Year 12 graduates being accepted into the Hyatt International Scholarship Program for 2022.