Rows for Children’es Dreams

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

Leni Haini, 42, a former rowing athlete from Jambi, is now developing a rowing school for underprivileged children in Legok village, Danau Sipin, Jambi city. The picture was taken on Friday (13/12/2019).

Habibatul Pasehah\'s request was like a life’s guide for Leni Haini, 42. Her youngest child, who has a rare disease, wanted to go to school, so Leni fulfilled not only her child’s wish, but also those of many other children from poor families.

"’Dede wants to go to school, Ma’," Leni said on Friday (13/12/2019), recalling her youngest daughter’s request of seven years ago. It was almost impossible for Leni to fulfill the wish of her daughter, Habibah, because she had epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare genetic disorder that causes fragile skin that blistered easily.

Habibah cannot be exposed to sunlight, or her skin will blister.

How could Habibah go to school if she couldn’t leave the house? Leni thought of asking a teacher to come to her house and tutor Habibah, who had reached school age.

However, because of her difficult financial state, Leni was unable to pay for a tutor. All the money she had was used for Habibah\'s treatment. "We didn\'t even know how to find a solution anymore. Every effort we made was for Habibah’s treatment," said Leni, a former rowing athlete who had won several gold medals in the IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships and the SEA Games in the 1990s.

In the beginning, I taught the children myself.

Leni had thought of selling her gold medals, but she tried to forget the idea. Amidst her confusion in trying to fulfill Habibah\'s request, Leni built an independent early learning center in a house she had inherited from her parents in Kampung Legok near Sipin Lake in Jambi.

The center attracted children from underprivileged families who were not attending school. "In the beginning, I taught the children myself. Later, some volunteers helped," said Leni.

Seeing the children’s great enthusiasm for learning, the center was expanded in 2015 to offer elementary and secondary schooling. The learning center is located on the side of the house. Later, Leni opened a rowing school for teenagers, called the Habibah Rowing Public Learning Center (PKBM).

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

Leni and his youngest daughter, Habibah.

Free learning

Leni never imagined that she would build a school for her children, let along the children from poor families in the neighborhood. Even more unimaginable is that her school does not charge tuition. So, how does Leni fund the school?

The school is self-supported through its waste management business. Every Saturday, after rowing classes, Leni and her students collect plastic garbage, water hyacinths and other waste from Lake Sipin.

"A lot of garbage ends up in the lake. One ton of waste can be collected in a single day," said Leni. They sell the trash that has economic value, while the rest is made into handicraft items. The proceeds from their sale are used to cover the school’s operational costs and to buy textbooks, classroom teaching aids and boats for the rowing class.

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Leni Haini

Part of life

Lake Sipin has been a blessing for Leni. When she was a child, Leni often fished from a boat in the lake while she watched the local rowing athletes at practice. She was later recruited by the Jambi branch of the Indonesian Rowing Association (PODSI) as a trainee rowing athlete.

It was then that Leni started her training as a rowing athlete. Three years later, she began to pick the fruit of her hard work. She was selected to represent Jambi in various regional competitions. Her peak was in 1997, when she won three gold medals at the World Dragon Boat Championships in Taipei, two gold at the world championships in Hong Kong and the Asian championships in Singapore. That same year, she won two gold medals and one silver at the SEA Games in Indonesia.

At the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei Darussalam, Leni won another gold and another silver. Leni\'s life changed drastically after she gave birth to Habibah, who needed special care.

The boat of her destiny led her on a difficult journey. However, she was able to steer her way to a brighter future for not only herself and his family, but also for the children of underprivileged families who also dreamt of a bright future.

Leni Haini

Born: Jambi, 8 Feb. 1978

Husband: Muhammad Ikhsan

Children: M. Fikri Insani, 18; Musdalifah Hana, 14; Habibatul Pasehah, 9

Education: Package C informal education

Occupation & Activities:

- PODSI rowing coach, Jambi province, 2013-2017

- Founder, Habibah Rowing Public Learning Center, 2015

- Founder, PAUD early learning center and Garbage Bank, 2014

- National rowing athlete, 1991-2000