February 2022, School Assistance Has Been Distributed

 

School assistance for Novi this month (February 2022) is IDR 175,000 and IDR 100,000 to support her family during the pandemic - Photographed by Riche

February...are you celebrating Valentine's day? Although it is not my culture, I would like to say "Happy Valentine's Day to all of you...Spread happiness and be kind to others!"🤗 So, I have good news in this lovely month that the 3 children who have received our help took their monthly assistance yesterday. I am glad and relieved they are in good shape because I have always worried about their condition during this unprecedented event (the COVID-19 situation).

School assistance this month (February 2022) has been distributed at Riche's house - Photographed by Riche's collection

Last night, I got a message from my dearest friend, Riche, she informed me all the children, Uun, Suci, and Novi, came together and received their February 2022 school assistance. If you are following our update each month, you would notice this month Uun appeared with 2 other kids, Novi and Suci. For sometimes, Uun has attended another activity which is another class in the evening. For this reason, she has come alone without 2 others when taking the school money at Riche's house. This time is different, Uun looked have spare time and made it come together. 

School assistance for Uun this month (February 2022) is IDR 175,000 and IDR 100,000 to support her family due to the COVID-19 situation - Photographed by Riche's collection

I was also excited about another news that Riche provided me. The exciting news is that Novi has made a decision on where she would go after graduating from secondary school this year. Riche told me that Novi will enroll in a particular high school; in Indonesia, we call it SMK. There is 2 type of school that we can enroll in after secondary school in Indonesia. First is high school which we call SMU, second is SMK; I think it is a similar polytechnic in Singapore. Unlike high school (SMU) where the students study broad subjects, SMK offers some specific programs that students can choose from the first year, for example, computing, cooking & baking, business, finance et cetera. My thinking is that maybe Novi wants to skill something so that she will be able to find a job after graduating from SMK. To be honest, my hope, I hope she has an opportunity and chance to study at a university and hold a degree. However, I think her decision is a good one because she has thought about what she wants to do next. Having one particular skill is essential to have a better life in the future. And the school is the place where we can learn and master that skill. That is why I have believed that "School is a passport to get a better future, bring us from nowhere to somewhere."

School assistance this month (20 February 2022) has been distributed at Riche's house - Photographed by Riche's collection

This month, these 3 children received IDR 175,000 each for their school assistance, and IDR 100,000 each to support their family due to the COVID-19 situation. Although this year looks the COVID-19 crisis much better where people are able to adjust to the situation because mostly taking vaccination, I am still willing to give them additional money to support their family life, as I mentioned before at least with IDR 100,000 they can use it for buying rice since rice is a staple food in Indonesia.

School assistance for Suci this month (20 February 2022) is IDR 175,000 and IDR 100,000 to support her family due to the COVID-19 situation - Photographed by Riche's collection

Many thanks to my lovely friend, Riche, who has helped me to distribute the money for those children. Without her, it is virtually impossible to reach them as I live abroad. I need a hand to find some villager children who have eager to stay in school. Actually, it is not always children from the place I come from. I had asked some of my friends who live in other provinces before for instance in East Java, Sulawesi, and Jambi. However, doing social work that definitely has no money in it and no publicity, well not everyone wants to do it and not everyone can do it either. As a result, only a friend who lived in West Java and 2 from my provinces have the same thought. Today, only one left, Riche. In West Java, my friend passed away so the library project and school assistance had been stopped. The consequence was 3 smart children in West Java had no longer received our assistance. One friend from my province (before Riche joins it), she decided to end her work with us in this project which meant one kid at that place was no longer receiving our school assistance; I was sad that time because that girl is smart and she graduated from primary school that time (2007) and enrolled secondary school. Sometimes, I still wonder how are they up to, I wish I could still help them. But nothing I can do.

School assistance this month (20 February 2022) has been distributed at Riche's house - Photographed by Riche's collection

Thank you for reading my article, see you in the next article! stay safe and have a beautiful day, bye!🖐🌞

School assistance for this month (20 February 2022) has been distributed at Riche's house - Photographed by Riche's collection

Note:

• Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Photographed by Riche's collection
• Do not copy this article without permission
• Do not reuse these photographed anywhere else without permission