In February 2015, I return to Indonesia as a volunteer with Friends Peace Teams in Asia West Pacific (FPT-AWP), a Quaker-based organization that connects communities of conscience with the world and provides opportunities for conscientious service.
The majority of my time will be spent volunteering at two preschools: Tunas Baru (New Sprouts) and Joglo (Javanese roof) Preschools, funded and encouraged by FPT-AWP.
Tunas Baru opened in 2009 in Barak Induk, Langkak, N. Sumatra, which at the time was a refugee camp for people displaced by the war in Aceh. With no access to resources besides their own people, community members ran the schools, most of whom were women who had never finished elementary school. In the past five years the teachers have done constant work to better themselves as teachers (including some of them going to college) and the school has developed a five-day program, added a reading room, added a toddler and infant room, and holds workshops for teens and adults on non-violent communication and trauma resiliency.
Joglo Preschool opened three years ago at Peace Place in Pati, Central Java. They offer preschool for young children, after-school programs for school-aged children, English language lessons and weekend workshops for parents, teachers and community members. Their workshops cover topics such as nonviolent communication, trauma resiliency, developmental play, listening to conscience and discernment.
Both of these schools were founded on the principles of peace and nonviolence. They do amazing things for their communities, in regions that have experienced a great deal of violence, and serve as regional resource centers for others to learn skills to take back to their own communities.
They need our support to continue to develop as demonstration sites, from which others can learn. My goal is to raise funds for:
- Books for the new reading rooms, $200-400/school.
- School supplies not available locally, $300/school.
- Developmental toys for the new infants and toddler's room in Tunas Baru, $250.
- A computer and printer, if possible, ($750/school).
- Discretionary funds to support the people who make the preschools happen!
- Purchase land next to Peace Peace to expand into an elementary school, ($25,000)!
I will be paying my own travel costs, so 100% of every contribution will help the schools, the teachers, and most importantly, the students.
All donations are tax deductible as permitted by law. Checks may also be mailed to: Friends Peace Teams, 1001 Park Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104 Memo line: AWP/Autumn
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