Refurbish a Community School
Upgrade essential furnishings for a beloved school and community centre so children can get a quality education and teenagers have a safe place to learn.
Young people receive training at the local preschool / community centre on how to stop human trafficking.
To discuss supporting this project contact Johanna: jo@justpeoples.org
Batam Island is a hub for people from all around Indonesia who migrate there looking for work in the many factories. To accommodate the new people, informal squatter settlements (slums) are established in the poorest areas. Without strong community networks that provide a layer of protection, children are at high risk of being trafficked into forced labour or prostitution.
Many local children living in these makeshift settlements, whose families can’t afford school fees, spend their days collecting and selling rubbish in order to support the family. Without education, they have few options to build a life out of poverty.
Kampung Air is one such settlement where a charity preschool has been established to offer the children an education and stop them falling through the cracks. Students learn basic reading, writing and maths, as well as music, art and social skills. They are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to participate and thrive in the public primary school system and have the chance to break the cycle of poverty.
The school has brought community members together as families and parents get to know each other, eventually forming deep connections - which has greatly improved children’s safety. Outside school hours the building is used as a community centre where teenagers and adults can study or take classes, and consultants run workshops on HIV/AIDs, human trafficking prevention and other important social issues.
But this beloved school and community centre is in need of refurbishment and repair!
Funding this project will provide this space with new desks, chairs and other essential furnishings to ensure children continue to get a quality education, while young people have a secure hub where they can learn and socialise.
Anastasia energises her preschool students with an action game.
Women from the Kampung Air community learn English and other subjects in the evenings.
Meet Rahayu
the woman ensuring the people of batam are safe, educated and connected
Rahayu has dedicated her life to supporting vulnerable Indonesian children and their families living on Batam Island. She has set up five preschools in slum communities to ensure the kids have the best start to life and their parents can establish meaningful relationships to provide security and safety networks. Rahayu’s vision is for every Indonesian child to have access to quality education and the opportunity to lead a safe and fulfilling life. Learn more