It takes a village to raise a child. Cornelis (28) knows that education is the fundamental right of every child. Unfortunately, access to education in his village in Central Sumba Regency, is not as easy as in other areas. Children whose ages are 3-5 years old have to walk 5 km to reach the nearest school in the neighboring village.
During rainy days, children could not go to school because the route became rugged, slippery, and muddy, making it impassable. In response to that situation, the Makata Keri Village Childcare Group, along with Cornelis, built a simple Early Childhood Education (PAUD) facility with bamboo-walled classrooms on land that was donated by the villagers in 2021.
“They have to pass through a rocky and challenging path by the forest. During the rainy season, many children couldn’t attend school,” explained Nelis, Cornelis’ nickname.
Cornelis, as the only university graduate in his village, then volunteered to be an educator at the Pelita PAUD. Even though he graduated with a degree in animal husbandry, he was actively looking for information regarding early childhood educator training programs organized by Save the Children and the Women’s Communication Foundation (Yayasan Wahana Komunikasi Wanita).
Cornelis was aware that his teaching abilities were still limited at that time, so he needed to enhance his capacity so he could give maximum result in teaching. Even though Cornelis was always the only male participant in the training, it didn’t deter his goals to improve the quality of education in Makata Keri. His hope is the next generations in his village could have a brighter future.
“I was willing to become a PAUD teacher because of the circumstances in my environment. In my village, I’m the only one who has a university degree. I thought, ‘Why should it be just me? There should also be the next generation who becomes scholars,” said Nelis.
His journey in building a greater future for children’s education began when he became one of the initiators who established PAUD Pelita in collaboration with the Central Sumba Child Protection Commission (Komisi Perlindungan Anak or KPA). In 2021, while Cornelis was inputting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) data at the village office, he overheard a conversation between the village head and a child welfare group about plans for a PAUD program.
He then advocates the establishment and development of the PAUD facility to the village head. Approximately 16 young children still faced challenges in accessing education due to the distance. The Village Head of Makata Keri requested Cornelis to approach the community and the landowners, if they were willing to formally offer their land for the establishment of a permanent PAUD.
Without wasting any time, he promptly conveyed this news to the community. He also coordinated with the child welfare group and the village government regarding their communication approach with the landowners to secure the land release.
At that time, two meetings were held to discuss the PAUD program. In the first meeting on October 9, 2021, the community, along with the village government and the child welfare group, provided information about the importance of education and child protection. The activity was supported by staff from the Women’s Communication Foundation (Yayasan Wahana Komunikasi Wanita) partner of Save the Children.
In the second meeting on November 6, 2021, Ledi Soru, the Head of Makata Keri Village, along with the community and the child welfare group, discussed the land release for the construction of the PAUD. As a result, the landowners agreed to donate their land, on the condition that it would be used solely for public purposes, especially to support the future of the children in their village.
After the land release was approved, the community selected the administrators and educators for PAUD and named it PAUD Pelita. Cornelis proposed this name, reasoning that “Pelita” means enlightenment in Bahasa Indonesia. He hoped that PAUD Pelita would serve as a foundation, providing light for the education of future generations in his village.
In early January 2022, PAUD Pelita officially began its teaching activities using a local resident’s house while preparing for the construction of the PAUD facility. This was supported by Save the Children. Now, the children in the village of Makata Keri no longer need to walk long distances to reach school.
