We are proud to announce that our environmental school received a highly significant recognition from Indonesian authorities a few weeks ago. Over the past months, the school administration of Raja Ampat has been closely observing the educational system of Child Aid Papua with great interest and has now officially acknowledged that the differentiated school concept is yielding noticeable successes.
We were granted two approvals in an expedited manner: Firstly, Child Aid Papua is now the first official bilingual educational institution for high school students, and secondly, it is the first school in all of West Papua authorized to issue educational certificates and vocational trainings in the field of "Marine and Eco-Tourism." The government's endorsement not only solidifies the school and its educational concept within the national education landscape but also enhances the international reputation of the organization.
The First School Graduates of Child aid Papua and New Students
The first senior high school students of our environmental school – Edy and Melando - have successfully passed the national final exams, thus completing their education at Child Aid Papua. Both have also already made successful strides in the professional career paths. Edy received several interesting job offers and started his position to become a professional Dive Guide at one of the most reputable resorts in the region, just a day after the exams. This fulfills a long-held dream of his, for which he worked hard. Melando intends to pursue further studies but will initially gather more professional experience in the conservation field. He has also secured a lucrative job opportunity underwater. He will collaborate with scientists, plant coral gardens, manage them, and continue to expand his expertise in the professional sphere. The diving certificates, the Reef Check certification, and of course, the English language skills Edy and Melando acquired during their time with Child Aid Papua now provide a significant advantage. Moreover, both can effectively apply the acquired knowledge about the underwater world and coral reefs for their benefit. We are incredibly proud of both and are pleased that their education with us has equipped them so well for their professional careers.
Additionally, the junior high school students of the 7th and 9th grades have successfully passed their national exams. All graduates have chosen to continue their education with us, moving into their senior high school year. And our community keeps growing! We welcome ten new students to the junior high school year. Due to space constraints and our commitment to maintain the quality of education, unfortunately, we had to limit the openings and were unable to offer additional spots. The ten new students come from seven different villages. Despite the fact that many have considerable distances to home, their parents have chosen to entrust their children to the care of Child Aid Papua Environmental School, providing them access to quality education. What a great sign of trust! The high school now has a total of 25 students, of which 12 children reside at the school.
New Teacher Houses Are finished
As an employer, we are continually evolving, too: The children are currently being taught by a total of 2 full-time and several part-time teachers. The teacher houses, funded in part by the extremely generous collection that was gathered during Jonas' lecture in January in Näfels, have now been completed. On one hand, the houses, with their roughly 20 square meters of living space, provide the much-welcomed privacy for the teachers, most of whom come from nearby cities. Life in Sawinggrai, Raja Ampat, presents many challenges even for the locals. The new accommodations address the comfort and well-being of the teachers on the remote island, contributing to a continuous, stable educational plan for the children. On the other hand, the former teacher rooms in the school building have now been converted into dorms, allowing children from more distant villages to be accommodated at Child Aid Papua.
New School Building for vocational trainings in 'Marine and Eco-Tourism'
The new government certifications, the continuous support of the community, and the recent successes further encourage us to invest in the next chapter. We aim to bring to life the existing architect plans for another school building. The new building consists of two floors and will include four classrooms, sleeping accommodations, and medical treatment rooms. This expansion is intended not only to create more educational opportunities but especially to enhance the offerings for the vocational trainings in "Marine and Eco-Tourism" by professionalizing the program. The support and approval from the school authorities is a significant sign of trust in the school and in our program, which we aim to live up to. The new school building is designed to fulfill this responsibility without compromising our independence. Like the previous projects, the new school building will also be financed through donations. Various funding applications to institutions have already been submitted. However, we also continue to hope for your support, companies, and foundations, to make this new project happen. In due time, we will launch a crowdfunding campaign and publish it through our media channels. Until then, we of course do not want to keep you waiting for additional information. Go to Funding projects | childaidpapua.org for more details. We thank you in advance for your support, for sharing, and for spreading the word! Only together can we achieve this new milestone!
