As the youngest child in her family, Kristiana age is so distant to her siblings. She has one brother that already in college and two brothers are high school students. Kristiana herself is still in the sixth grade of elementary school. She studies at Tobanapme elementary school in Makki sub district. Even in the family Kristiana rarely speak up for herself. “In my family, we seldom spent time to speak to each other in form of discussion or speak about a topic” said Kristiana when we asked her if there was chance to discuss something (like speaking up problems and how to counter it) in her family. “WV staff helped me to learn of being confidence and told me that as children I have several rights that adolescence needs to listen and fulfill those basic rights” she continued.
Her father is Eli Kogoya who works as health officer in Makki Health Center. Her father actively involved in one of WV activities which is nutrition post (Pos Gizi) and integrated health post (Posyandu). Her mother is Merlina Wenda who works as midwife at the same health center with Kristiana’s father. Kristiana come from a village called Kemiri. This village gets support from WV in its nutrition project with positive deviance approach. During the education workshop to celebrate National Education Day, Kemiri village sent 4 sponsored children to participate in the celebration. The children were asked to speak up questions regarding education and learning process situation that happened in their village through the opinion of the child. The opinions poured in form of a letter that read in the celebration. Key note speakers that came from Education Department (Jakarta), Provincial Education Office of Jayapura, and district education office of Jayawijaya and Lanny Jaya were expected to comments on those children opinions.
“I want my teachers spent all day within a month in my school, I don’t want my teachers often go to Wamena just to get their wages” read Kristiana. “Sometimes, they spent half month just to wait for their wages that we did not received enough lesson in school. Local government has to pay serious attention on this problem” she read again. Though Kristiana read the letter hesitantly, all participants pay fully attention on her.
“We will try to do our best. In teachers’ placement, we have to coordinate this matter with civil employee affairs department” said Purnomo, the secretary of Lanny Jaya education office in responding to Kristina’s letter. “As for delivery teacher wages, we will coordinate to our financial office that teachers should accept their rights in time, so there will be no reasons they not teaching just to wait for wages” Purnomo continued. Purnomo also said as a new district, Lanny Jaya still need to learn form established district about so many systems including developing teachers’ quality. As new district several facilities for teachers still in developing process, this situation made some teachers not comfortable to be in his or her placement schools. In the future the government of Lanny Jaya will still focused on developing facilities for schools as this is the basic needs for teachers to be in his or her location.
“I’m glad to hear children have courage to speak up about education situation in their village” said James Modow – head of provincial education office. “Local government should pay attention seriously on these children opinion. If it is necessary to hold a discussion with them to improve education system in the future” he continued.
Kristiana’s face was gleamed hearing the response to her letter. Although at first she was embarrassed and not confidence, at least a promise was made, a promise to improve education situation in her village that will be better than before, a hope that she will share with her colleagues in school or maybe to other children in another school.
Good luck Kristiana!
Posted by Willy Sitompul for Eruwok Development
