Since last year, 2005 I have assisted Susan Cromb in Singaraja to identify and join some school in Singaraja with schools in Australia through the Adopt A School Project which is managed by her.
At the moment, there are 12 schools all together in Singaraja which have been joined with some schools in Australia. There are 2 SMP, 1 SMA and 9 SD. All of them are eager to keep this good relationship into the future as this program will bring many advantages, especially for students who learn English at their school. Through a continued pen pall activities, they, the students can practice their target language they are learning in a more real situation. In addition, they can exchange information about their own experiences, culture, and sharing knowledge among students in Singaraja- Bali and ones in Australia. In the future all of them expect that the Adopt A School Project can give more advantages for them.
Some SD, such as SD 1, 4, and 6 in Sudaji have been helped by Mr. Jack Rush, of the Bali Building Company. The man logistics from Australia to build the schools fences and walls, to make students play more comfortable during their break time at school. SD 6 Sudaji is still waiting for Mr. Jack Rush to build a stone wall next to the class room there to protect the soil not to fall down like before in which the ground was falling down and almost buried the classroom when it was raining.
SD Lab IKIP Negeri Singaraja, SMP LAB, SMP Negeri 3 Singaraja and SD 1 Dencarik have done the pen pal activities with their sister schools in Australia. SMA Negeri 1 Singaraja has joined the English course through the internet, but the internet cannot work well yet. The school is trying to find a better internet provider to have a better communication. The other schools are still preparing their communication by sending students’ letters to the students in Australia. On Thursday, July 13th 2006, 18 teachers and headmasters attended the afternoon tea and workshop at Pegadungan village in Singaraja.
Most of the schools above need assistance with fundraising to increase the educational quality and students’ activities at schools, and to help students from a low economic family to study better at schools. Please not to get bored in helping them in the future even it is in the form of a very small thing. I hope may GOD bring you a reasonable return for your great mercy and kindness. The motto of the AAS says that “A drop of water in desert is better than a galloon of water in the lake”.
