Education is a fundamental right of every Indonesian child, regardless of their economic or social background. However, the reality on the ground shows that the gap in educational access remains a significant challenge, especially for children from underprivileged families even in major cities like Jakarta.

Alternative Schools as a Solution

One initiative that deserves appreciation is the presence of the Alternative School for Street Children (SAAJA) in the Karet Kuningan area, South Jakarta. Established in 2002 under the auspices of the Foundation for Empowerment of the Poor (PaRam), SAAJA evolved from a simple learning group into a comprehensive learning space for street children and underprivileged families.

With a spirit of mutual cooperation, SAAJA realizes educational equity through programs ranging from reading and arithmetic learning to tutoring for elementary to high school levels, all free of charge. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the institution supports 35 kindergarten students and 115 children in tutoring programs.

“Alhamdulillah, our children demonstrate an extraordinary enthusiasm for learning and are able to compete with other children. However, moral support from parents and teachers needs to be maintained,” said Kristina Iin Dwiyanti, Principal of SAAJA.

Multi-stakeholder Collaboration for Quality Education

The inspiring story of SAAJA is evidence that the struggle to achieve quality education requires collaboration from various parties. Not only relying on government and educational institutions, the roles of communities, businesses, and individuals are crucial in supporting the sustainability of education for Indonesian children. This support can take the form of effort, time, or donations of learning tools that are essential to support the learning process.
A concrete form of collaboration was realized on April 25, when 20 ID COMM employees visited SAAJA. The company, which recently celebrated its 11th anniversary, was present to share enthusiasm, motivate, and learn together with the children. They also provided assistance in the form of stationery, teaching aids, school bags, play equipment, and prizes for children who were active in classroom activities.

Reflection of Corporate Values and Commitment

Asti Putri, Co-Founder and Director of ID COMM stated, “We want to increase awareness, sensitivity, and mobilize concrete actions from the extended ID COMM family to share and help ease the burden of surrounding residents. The philosophy that what ID COMM does is for the good of Indonesia needs to be reflected not only in the context of work with clients and programs being developed but also integrated into the behavior of each individual in daily life.”

“Every contribution, no matter how small, can be an important foundation for the future of Indonesian children. The children here are our future leaders. Our presence at SAAJA is a small form of support to open higher hopes, and hopefully can be the first step towards even greater contributions from various parties,” said Sari Soegondo, Co-Founder of ID COMM, who was also present at the event.

This moment serves as a reminder that efforts to address educational disparities require synergy and collective care. Every contribution, no matter how small, can be an important stepping stone for the future of Indonesian children. With the support of all parties, children from underprivileged families can continue to dream and achieve a better future.