Educating Poor Urban Children in Makassar

  Indonesia

• All Other Areas: 
Makassar

Durations of Program: 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: All the year around

Description: Makassar is one of the largest cities in Indonesia with a population of about 1.3 millions people. Gaps between living conditions of the city people are high, even if there are many well beings, there are also many poor families in several slump area of the city.

For more than fifteen years our institute LPTM has been operating an emergency education for children of urban poor families who are unable to send their children to normal schools. The children even have to help their parents to earn a living in what ever way possible. The children who come to our classes are between two to fifteen years old. Since their parents are also less educated, many of them especially the mother, take the advantage of the classes by staying in the class to also learn with their children.

For overseas students who like to gain experience in pedagogies, elderly people education, psychology, teaching and, social works can take this opportunity. This is a real challenging experience where you could deal with a problem of poor people, from small children to elderly people.

Taking part in this volunteering project will really bring you in total immersion in local community. You will enjoy the warm and friendliness of the local people of one part of Indonesia. It will bring you to a real enjoyment in close communication with people.

Another advantage of this project is that you would learn Indonesian language intensively through your interaction with your class participants. The parents of the children could give you extra Indonesian language training with a very small incentive or may be even for free, depending on your relationship with them.

During the weekends and holidays you will have the opportunity to visit many interesting destinations and excursion places such as Toraja, Bantimurung, Malino or Tanjung Bira, etc. In the end of the first two months of stay and at the end every month of stay thereafter you may have one week free time to visit other places of the country like Bali, Bunaken, Borobudur, etc.

Your stay in Makassar as our guest is different from if you are a tourist. As a tourist you are not allowed to do any activities besides touristy and you can only stay for one month according to the immigration regulation. Being a guest of our institute, you can stay up to six months and could really immerse and be in contact with local people closely. Our program is therefore also a cultural program.

Highlights:
- Opportunity to help poor urban chidren and their parents
- Gather experience for self esteem and future career
- Visit other countries with many different cultures and environment.
- Total immersion in the local community

Qualifications:
- at least 18 years old
- in good health
- travel and health insurance coverage
- enjoys being in a different culture and way of live
- enjoys communicating with people
- loves children
- high concern for poor people
- speaks English or German

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Registration USD.75.- Monthly contribution USD.550.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Local People, European, American, Australian, British

Age Range: 17 to 70 years old

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Indonesia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

LPTM's Mission Statement: The future of mankind is on the hands of the younger generation. LPTM is contributing on supporting young people in improvement. One of the missions is to bring them together and make them communicate and promoting the understanding of each other. By that way LPTM is promoting the understanding between different cultures, different economic development, etc., to attain better cooperation between countries in the future.

Year Founded: 1989