ELFs Indonesia 2005

This blog portrays the activities of the English Language Fellows in Indonesia for the year of 2005 - 2006. This year there are 10 Fellows posted in IAIN Medan, UNAND Padang, UIN Jakarta, UNIK Atmajaya Jakarta, UIN Walisongo Semarang, UIN Kalijaga Yogyakarta, UPN Veteran Surabaya, UMM Malang, UNMUL Samarinda, UNSRAT Manado. If you need to know more about this program, please send email to relojkt1@cbn.net.id

Monday, January 23, 2006

Access Microsholarship in Pabelan Pesantren

One of the Access Microsholarship 2005 recipients was Pesantren Pabelan, about 30 minutes drive north of Yogyakarta. It is a very open pesantren whose Kiai is so moderate, knowledgeable, and wise.

On January 14, Damon Anderson, Tom Randolph and me attended a closing ceremony of the English program for the Non-Elite Youth in Pabelan. The program was a complimentary of the community development program sponsored by UNDP and Bappenas and run by Yayasan Trinia Rahman. RELO with the Access Microscholarship sponsored the English program. It was a very simple ceremony attended by representatives from all the sponsors. All were thanked equally, nothing was exagerated. In simple ways, the Kiai, the teachers and the students expressed their gratitudes. It was a touching ceremony.

We learned a fundamental teaching that 'Ilmu adalah Amanah", knowledge is a duty. You get it and you have the duty to practice it, apply it, and spread it. The sponsors did give duty to the teachers, and the teachers had done their parts. Now, the amanah is in the hands of the students.

Here are some of the pictures we took from the ceremony:

All were involved in an animated discussion at the Kiai's house:




Damon gave a short program closing speech in Bahasa Indonesia and then together with the VIPs handed out certificates to the teachers and students:







Then, all students posed with their classmates, teachers and donors' reps:





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