Lam Asan Village
Aceh Besar District
Outside Banda Aceh City
June 2009
Dear Friends,
Even now after so many months on a daily basis I get so filled with emotion that I have to fight back tears; they are tears of joy and pride in these children. What I have been witnessing is something quite remarkable lately and has left the teachers speechless. The older girls are becoming so proactive in their lives and futures. After the Tsunami when they moved down from the mountains into barracks, someone taught them to make bags by crochet; they came to me asked if it was possible to help them buy the materials. They thought that with a little practice they would be good enough to make them to a quality good enough to sell. That would mean they would not need to work in the brick factory after school any longer. Another group have asked if they could help in the Kindergarten so they can start learning with the aim of one day becoming teachers so they could help other children. Just a few short months ago not one of them looked to their future as anything else than a brick factory worker. I am so proud of them.
I have always stressed that this is their program. They need to say what they need and want, I am only the facilitator. It took 5 weeks of living in the village in 2008 to identify the Education Support Program as a priority need of the village and how it could be implemented best. We had to consider the school hours (schools are over subscribed so lessons are done on shift basis), the Koranic lessons (the family will place learning the Koran above learning how to read and write), the brick factory hours and many more factors such as collecting material for fuel. I have never promise anything other than I will do my best. I think that is why we are a success, because we listen and consult at every level, with the children (even for the playground set we had a big discussion about what items we should buy and then put it to a vote, introducing the children to democracy and responsibility at an early age), the parents, the head of the village, the schools, the teachers - everyone gets their say and more importantly is listened to.
In an office yesterday I read something so nice on accountability:
WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR CREATOR
WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR BENEFICIARIES TO DO OUR BEST
Thank you for your interest and help.
Natascha Barrymore and the children of Aceh