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How the School Started&
In April 2004, an opportunity presented itself for Malaysian Care to help the Acehnese community at Selayang. Many parents from the community recognized the important need for their children to attend school and obtain a basic education in reading, writing and numeracy. The community was then quite large because of the presence of a wet market which provided job opportunities for many of the men, and there were about 55 school-age children who could not attend school.
There was some hesitancy within the organization about embarking on the project due to the possible risks that would arise from working with refugees. The issue of refugees in Malaysia then was still unknown to many and there was no way of knowing what legal issues the organization would face if it became involved in refugee work. But in December 2004, the devastating tsunami struck the coastal areas of Aceh and in response to the great need there, Malaysian Care provided immediate aid to the Aceh villages by sending aid through the Acehnese refugee community in Malaysia. This unofficial channel was necessary as aid through official channels was reportedly not reaching those in need.
This engagement provided added impetus that resulted shortly after in concerted discussions with the community leaders; and in collaboration with UNICEF and UNHCR Malaysia, Projek Pendidikan Komuniti Aceh (PPKA), a Community-Based School was set up. The fact that we were a Christian non-governmental organization helping Muslims did not affect how we were received by the community. Many parents remarked that education and religion are entirely separate issues and as long as we respected one anothers beliefs, all would be well.
Its 2-year Journey&
PPKA opened for business on March 3, 2005, 2 days after the government launched its biggest operation (Operation Tegas) to nab illegal immigrants. There was much anxiety whether we should start or postpone it but all parties involved felt preparations and expectations were already so advanced that delaying it would greatly discourage the community. Between March and August 2005, the Aceh school ran its course in a small 2-room apartment in Selayang with classes being conducted only twice a week. The lesson syllabus was based on the local Year 1 curriculum but due to limited resources, the students were provided with only photocopies of the lesson. There was also a high turnover rate of volunteer teachers due to the difficulties of finding committed teachers, which upset the development of the education program. In the early months, the community had yet to recommend the appointment of refugee teachers who would have provided more stability to the program. The apartment was also found to be an unsuitable place for the students to learn because of noise and other physical factors. In spite of all these discouraging factors, the community remained eager and classes continued to run while students improved academically.
In September 2005, the United States Embassy graciously provided Malaysian Care with a one-year funding that enabled us to relocate the school to a two-storey house nearby to housing flats where most of the community lived. This allowed us to extend the school days from two to four a week, with remedial classes for the weaker students being held once a week. The new school was now equipped with three classrooms, computers, furniture and a resource corner in each classroom. The resource corners were equipped with books and toys, and a teaching resource section was also set up to provide teachers with visual teaching aids and reference books.
Finding this new space was timely and a much welcomed change. Moving to this new area in Selayang doubled our student intake to 40 that year. Moreover, the larger space allowed us to hold community meetings, parents workshops, teachers trainings and two class sessions to meet the needs of increased students. In August 2006, when funding from the US Embassy ended, Malaysian Care received another funding from UNHCR which allowed us to continue the education project.
Coming to a close&
The tragedy of the 2004 tsunami had a positive turn in that it proved to be the impetus for the Indonesian government and the GAM separatist movement to make peace. This resulted in the August 2005 Peace Treaty in which GAM agreed to disarm, and the Indonesian government to withdraw its military and police presence from the region. Since then, Aceh has been on the slow road to restoration and the rebuilding of its infrastructure and way of life. As signs of peace started taking hold, increasing number of Acehnese refugees began to return to their homeland. Parallel to this, the UNHCR removed Acehnese from their refugee status.
These developments meant that over time, Acehnese refugees began returning to Aceh as they grew more confident that peace was indeed taking hold. Enrolment at PPKA began to drop as children followed their parents home. Additionally, UNHCRs decision to remove their refugee status introduced new uncertainties as it affects any form of protection went with it and so too funding grants for the project. Thus, with great reluctance from all parties, the school officially closed in February 2007. Teachers and students were given a reference letter to certify their participation at PPKA, stating the training that the teachers have undergone and the students average scores. It is our hope that these credentials will assist them in seeking future employment or in continuing their education.
On February 25th, the community met together for one last time to celebrate the education projects success. The closing ceremony for PPKA was a poignant but hopeful event it was sad to see the end of the project and yet there was a sense of hope for the future of those involved in the project. Present at the closing ceremony were key representatives from the United States Embassy, UNHCR, Malaysian Care, as well as the Aceh community leader. It was a gathering of people from different countries, religious beliefs and ages, but united through the common goal to impact the lives of these marginalized children. Four students shared a cultural dance with the audience and some teachers and students gave encouraging testimonies that proved of the success of the project. |
