Indonesia

The 26th December, 2004 Banda Aceh, capital of the Indonesian province Aceh, was struck by the devastating tsunami. The combination of a tsunami and an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude left a deep mark on the region: suburbs full of thousands of shacks, tents, mobile shelters, non-existent sanitary services and food and water in just about enough quantities.

The territorial and cultural isolation of Aceh from the rest of Indonesia hasn’t helped the local population. Education is not a simple issue in Aceh: families prefer children to work rather than sending them to school.

Our project at the Budi Dharma school included an educational component with local qualified teachers employed and a nutritional component with daily food supply. Our work in this school has been fundamental because the families have been able to invest their savings in microfinance projects and at the same time send their children to school.

New Life for Children started the project in 2008. The project was concluded in December 2014.

• Literacy and basic education support for the entire Budi Dharma school. 
• Fight against school drop out of the Banda Aceh community children.
• Pedagogical continuous education and training seminars to improve the educational skills of the local teachers.
• Activation of the e-learning programme for teachers participating in the seminars.

• Improvement of conditions of life and personal development of 180 beneficiary children, through the upgrade and enrichment of the local school’s educational offer. 
• Improvement of the students’ health at Budi Dharma school, thanks to the realization of a medical health screening program.
• Decrease of the malnutrition emergency in the Budi Dharma school students, through the supply of food to the school canteen, and particular attention to underweight children.
• Increased efficacy of the teachers educational intervention through the continuous education and improvement of pedagogical knowledge and practices.