Arriving in Jakarta!

I made it to Indonesia... what a long journey it was! I had a 13 hour flight to Taipai and then a 5 hour flight to Jakarta. I arrived on Friday afternoon, and was desperately hoping someone would be there to meet me. Of course they were! A young girl named Ayu had a sign with my name on it, and she was with the co-director of the Jakarta center, a guy named Prashant. We took a bus back to the center (about an hour ride, through the slums and various districts of the city). 

So I was originally supposed to work in the Banda Aceh center, which is the super conservative/Muslim center on the northern tip of the Sumatra island. Right before I left for Indonesia, I got some emails saying I may be relocated to the Jakarta center, since the need for me was greater there. I was fine either way.... although they'd be radically different experiences. Banda Aceh is in a pristine beautiful coastline, and the focus is on the 10 kids who live at the orphanage. But because the area is the most Islamic of all of Indonesia the rules are pretty strict (ie headscarves and no drinking). The Jakarta center is in the midst of a huge third world city, with tons of pollution and slums. The focus at this center is the schooling program, since only 6 kids live at the center, yet hundreds of kids from the slums come through for math/English/computer classes. I think the Jakarta experience is more aligned with my original goals of living and experiencing a developing country.... I guess I'll see in the next couple days what is in store for me!

Anyways, the Jakarta center is a big renovated house in a residential area. It has a big patio (gated of course) lining the street (there is paid security at night). Entering the front door, you walk into a big open room, on the left is the math classroom, and on the right is the computer room (about 10 computers are in there... although half don't work or are super sketchy). The computer room is adjacent to the boys' quarters. Downstairs also has the kitchen. Upstairs is the English lesson area, and the girls' quarters. I am currently living in a room with a bunk bed by myself.  The house is light and airy, although a little rundown. It could use some maintenance, and some new decorations!

I have met the 6 kids who live here... Nia, Ade, Oting, Joko, Mail, and Ayu, ranging in age from 7 to 17. Apparently they all have homes and families, but can't live there for whatever reasons (I guess because of disfunctional relationships). There is also a young Indonesian woman who cooks and cleans (Rini is her name, probably only 18 or so). The kids are pretty self-sufficient, they wake up at 5 am for prayer, get themselves dressed and to school (Prashant gives them money for bus transportation) and when they come home they just hang out with their friends, until 10pm bedtime. Their friends are always hanging out, which is fun, because it creates an atmosphere of like a youth center. Last night there was probably 12 kids hanging out, playing Monopoly, watching TV, and playing guitar/ drumsets (some of the kids are SO musical!) Prashant gives money to Rini each day to buy food with (she gets up early and goes to the market) and she makes a lot of food and leaves it out for us and the kids to eat whenever we want. Sundays are the days in which we all hang out together (like a family, aw) and go on trips. It sounds like last week they went to a public swimming pool, and this week we are going to a park. Prashant wants to go find a beach as a future Sunday outing... sounds great!

So it seems like Prashant and I are just here to oversee the kids, and to really focus on the center's education component. From what I gather, there have never been directors before, and so nothing is organized. Volunteers in the past would come and go and pass on info to one another, so there was no real continuity. The school stuff is a mess. There is no solid curriculum, no consistent teachers, and no system for student enrollment. That is what Prashant and I will be working on primarily, as well as creating manuals/instructions for future staff. We have plenty of time to work on it though, because our center has no classes during the month of September to honor Ramadan. So we have a month to sort things out and set up a basic system. There is a third co-director flying in next week, named Sarah who's from San Diego. So with 3 of us we should fly through this organizational mess!

Okay that's my update for now! Love and miss you all! I look forward to your emails (and blog comments, I guess, lol? This blog thing is totally new to me!)

Love, allie