Dreams of the Children on Seram Island from Behind the Sago Leaves
The remote communities of Seram Island in Maluku are reluctant to lament over their fate. In order to realize the dream of their children, parents worked together to build an emergency school using sago leaves for its roof.
By
Fransiskus Pati Herin
·6 minutes read
The remote communities of Seram Island in Maluku are reluctant to lament over their fate. In order to realize the dream of their children, parents worked together to build an emergency school using sago leaves for its roof.
The Sabuai elementary school (SD) building in Sabuai village, Siberalat district, East Seram Regency, can be considered a milestone for the village\'s education. The children used a village hall for almost two years before the construction of the school was completed in September. That\'s where the children pursue their future.
The 12 meter by 5 m school building uses sago palm leaves as its roof and wooden planks as its wall. The floor consists of soil covered with bamboo halves. Sago leaves and wood are easily found in the area, so there is no need to buy it.
The emergency school building is divided into four rooms of different sizes. Three rooms are used for grades I, II, and III and another room for the school office. Each classroom is equipped with wooden chairs and tables made by the parents. There is no desk or chair for the teacher. The teacher uses a chair from the school office. In the office, there are six plastic chairs and two wooden tables donated by the village office.
There is no cupboard there because the school has not been equipped with textbooks. The subjects taught mainly comprise writing, reading, arithmetic, religious education and citizenship. The teaching materials rely only on the knowledge of Eni Rosita Wailussa and three other teachers.
"We just use the lessons we got in elementary school long time ago," Eni said, when Kompas met her at the school on Monday earlier this month (11/05/2018).
Supporting teaching and learning activities are white boards and markers. That is all. Books, especially props, are still a dream. Other equipment includes class schedules, posters made by students and a school bell in the form of iron plates Eni picked up from the telecommunication network tower project nearby.
Eni is one of the school’s pioneers. The woman is a civil servant, while the three others are unpaid teachers. They have taught at the school for three years, since it first opened.
Citizen initiative
Before the emergency school was built, teaching and learning activities were held in the Sabuai village office. However, as the number of students increased, the village office space was no longer enough. Now, there are 30 students.
Residents took the initiative to build their own school on the land owned by the Malaihollo family. They worked together to find building materials in the forest, then built the school together. Sago leaves, wood and bamboo are easily found there. The materials such as nails were bought using donations. There was also financial assistance provide by the village office.
For teaching and learning, all families (not only parents of the students) in the village are asked to contribute Rp 5,000 per family. The donation is stipulated in a village regulation. "We have to start this for the sake of the future generation here. We don’t have to wait for too long. Let\'s do it while we can," said the religious leader in Sabuai, Rev. Dessy Patty.
The establishment of the school was the answer of the dream of the residents who have waited for a long time to have a school. Previously, children in Sabuai had to walk to the neighboring village to go to school. They had to cross several rivers and creeks that were at risk of flooding.
When it rained, they chose not to go to school. So many children eventually dropped out of school. Now, the school has been established. Several more rooms should be built because there will be more students next year.
It is still difficult to reach Sabuai. From Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, Kompas boarded a speedboat that took almost two hours to reach Masohi, the capital of Central Maluku regency. The journey then continued by land for almost 200 kilometers. Vehicles have to cross at least 18 rivers and creeks that do not yet have bridges.
There is a river that is about 300 meters wide. Not all vehicles can cross the river. The water washes many vehicles away. During the rainy season, the areas near the river are often isolated for days.
Ambition
Now, development in the region has been intensively carried out, ranging from roads to bridges. The community expressed hope that in the near future educational facilities will also be built in the Sabuai region.
Neva Malaihollo, who is now in the third grade, began pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor in the emergency school. She wants to be a doctor to serve in Sabuai. Because they are in remote areas and far from health services, many patients in the village cannot be helped. "By becoming a doctor, I can take care of the people here. Thank you for the fathers and mothers who built the school for us," she said.
The initiative of building schools in the rural area was also made by the people of Hatuwolo village in the north of Seram Island. Sabuai is located in the south of Seram Island.
The building materials are also the same as in Sabuai, which uses sago leaves, sago fronds, bamboo, and wooden planks. The teachers come from the community themselves who are considered to be able to read, write and count. The permanent school is located in another village, which is about 12 kilometers away. The children have to cross dozens of rivers and creeks to reach the school.
If the children from Hatuwolo and nearby villages want to continue studying at a junior high school, they must go to Wahai, the capital of North Seram district, which can only be reached on foot, a journey that takes three days. Many children from the villages choose to stay with their relatives.
The efforts made by the rural communities to build the schools for their children show how they understand the importance of education. From behind the sago leaves, the roof of the emergency school, the children in the remote area begin their steps to achieve their goals.
Hopefully the dream of the inland children on the island of Seram will come true. Emergency schools are important achievements for the people there.