CRLC Manager’s Report

From the Manager and Assistant Manager

Everyone at the Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre (CRLC) is always learning, and 2017/18 has been another year of growth for us all. It is always busy here, which helps us manage our mental and other stress. The children, classes, syllabus, interns, coffee classes, excursions, visitors, university exchanges, sports, visits to Jakarta, hosting other schools and UNHCR and IOM visits all keep us occupied.

This year we started with a 111 students in the morning shift. The students study five subjects. There are also regular varied workshops, trainings and sharing. The children are all working very hard for a future they hope to have. We see their happiness and determination and, for many of us who lost their childhoods, it gives us energy to see the children grow and glow. 

This year CRLC hosted many international and local students, and we shared culture, tradition and stories. 

The visitors are always away surprised and impressed by the level of education and fluency of English our kids have. Many leave the school in tears when saying goodbyes to our students. The bond of friendship with local and international community is getting stronger. They stay on touch through Whatsapp, facebook, instagram and other social media.

Sport is the most loved activities for the students and teachers. We play football, ping-pong, dodge-ball and every there is a daily morning exercise routine. Sport at the CRLC is all-inclusive for boys and girls, and we are proud to be facilitating many of the girls and women to play sport for the first time in their life. 

We hold inter-class and also inter-school football tournaments. The CRLC students always perform well and we are proud of their professional attitude and FairPlay. Every day there are Ping-Pong dodge ball and basketball games recess and the sports period and we also played football with AIS students on our visit to Jakarta. It is fair to say that the students do not miss any opportunity available for them. 

During the last year there have been many long-term visitors and interns to the CRLC. They include; Jennifer Moberg, Alberto Gelmi, Yvonne Jolanda Mathis, Edith Mathis, Erika Chirisiani, Aqilah Nafisa Ulya, Mckayla Hyse and Kieren Kresevic Salazar. The experience is a two-way education exchange, they learn from us and we learn from them. They join our teaching timetable and hold specific workshops, especially sessions on self-care, teamwork and information on puberty.

They are all inspired by the positive energy at the CRLC and some have gone back to their universities and written Masters and Phd thesis about the school. We look forward to seeing them back again and we’ll post some links to their work online

CRLC regularly hosts day visitors from all around the world as well. These include journalists and news reporters, researchers, students, teachers and professors. Some notable visitors include an Australian Federal Member of Parliament, Mr. Tim Watts and Mayor, Sarah Carter, on a tour to educate themselves about refugees. We sent them back to Australia with our message that ‘refugees only want a safe place to learn and to contribute to society’. 

Through out the year CRLC has hosted many universities and schools including University of Indonesia, Binus University, Pajajaran University Bandung, University of Multi-Media Nusantra Tanggerang, Australian Independent school, Colombo Plan Students from Australia and Christian Raffle School Jakarta. They came in big groups and we shared games, cultural and traditional activities and meals together. They were all great days and again we made many friends.

In 2016 The UNHCR came to the CRLC for the first time. We were proud to host them and we encouraged them to see the refugee community as a resource, as people who can volunteer to serve the community. We worry about the refugees who are stuck in detention with little or no education opportunities and we have since heard that UNHCR and IOM intend to expand the education opportunities in the detention centres and IOM houses. We hope that they continue to see refugees as integral partners in this process.

It has been a busy year. We are all stuck in the middle of a journey which seems to have no end, but are doing our best with what we have. Our greatest thanks go to all the teachers who do their best every day at school to help the kids. We can see our hard work paying off. Thank to them also for supporting Halima and myself this year. We appreciate all your efforts.

Thank you

Khalil and Halima.