Flores keep developping! Tourism is growing and that is very good for our school. They often come for a short visit of a few days for sites like Kelimutu, the three-colored crater lakes, Flores man ( an extinct human species that must have lived 18,000 years ago) and of course the Komodo National Park where the famous Komodo dragons in protection leven. EduChild often visits our projects on Flores and in November 2013 we went to enjoy this beautiful Island at our own expense. This time Marjon Tjia, Hilda de Graaf, Arie van den Heuvel and Bethe Alkemade went to Lebuan Bajo to size up the current projects of the foundation.
According to the Financial Times the capital of Flores, Lebuan Bajo where we landed, is the fastest growing tourist destination in Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia Flores, Lombok and Bali designated areas for eco-tourism. This means that Flores receives extra money for the promotion of eco-tourism. The next five days we would also deepen our preparation for the jubilee seminar on November 26 in our school for Tourism and two other schools. The school for Tourism flourrishes after our 10-year guidance as never before and other schools ask for our help and commitment professional in training their students as well . Marjon asked three students (Eka, Manto and Jones) to accompany us and we could see for ourselves how field experience will help them with their education.
Our travelogue
Day 1: We arrive at Flores and in the evening we go to a local restaurant where students from the school are cooking and serving tourists. We saw how dedicated and enthausiastic students were to bring theorie into practice in restaurants, hotels, dive shops and other tourist attractions. We also had a chance to have a glimps of the beautiful bay of Labuan Bajo, it’s amazing!
Day 2 – Visiting the School Toeristiek: Upon entering the school in the capital of Flores, we were warmly received with a welcome speech, the ceremonial handing over of a rooster as a welcome gift to our president Hilda and drinking a sip powerful Arak. In the coming days would show how this remarkable welcome for us as part of the daily habits Flores. We were naturally very interested in the latest developments in the school and especially to the progress of the four in 2013 initiated projects:
• intent book bank
• extra English lessons,
• vegetable garden and field trips.
David Rothe is a lecturer in the English language closely involved in the school and extra lessons are a great success, both for the teachers and the students. The need for this is large and we see that we should see this success to hold. Lunch is provided by the “food & beverage” of the school and how it could be different, delicious, are held while various speeches.
Then our progress on the second project, the large vegetable garden shown by Pieter Swiss. He lived 16 years in Flores and agricultural engineer. His enthusiasm is contagious and is missing its effect on the students did not: the students who reside on campus endeavor in their spare time to care for new planting, maintenance and harvesting the vegetables. Also on the initiative of Pieter built a new fish pond so that care can be worn for fish farming. The aim of this garden project is that the students healthy vegetables and fish can prepare in the food & beverage courses and these can also eat by themselves. When the number is, the surplus may be sold to restaurants in Labuan Bajo. Furthermore, Pieter let us see an old well, which he thinks these limited cost revitalized can be, not only for water consumption, but also for the vegetable garden in dry times.
LinkedIn workshop by Gerard Klein Essink.LinkedIn workshop by Gerard Klein Essink.
To acquaint the school with “social media” gives Gerard Klein Essink, the husband of Hilda, an enthusiastic and practical lessons about the importance of using LinkedIn. Students are immediately impressed by this means it is a convenient and modern tool for finding jobs and developing a future career.
Day 3 – Stella Maris, shipping school: The next day we visit Stella Maris. We discuss with the board a couple of hours of discussion on the situation of the school. Stella Maris is another school in Labuan Bajo, where students are trained in navigation technique to control ships, the maintenance of ships and the English language. The number of students from Stella Maris is under pressure and has declined in the last three years to around 120. The budgets for the current sponsor (Catholic Church) are limited. Grab Flori, a former director of the tourism school is a member of Supervisory Board of Stella Maris. He is present to both Educhild as the lay leadership of the school in what they can do for each other. We agreed that early 2014 will further discuss the possibilities to support Stella Maris.
Day 4 – visit to the Agricultural School: in Datak, a town about two hours drive from Labuan
Marjon Tjia takes the Arak as a welcome drink in ontvangstMarjon Tjia takes the Arak as a welcome drink at reception
Bajo is established this school. The journey takes about a bumpy and wet road. Also here we are received with great enthusiasm by welcoming speech, a rooster and Arak. We have a well-prepared presentation with wish list, though. It’s late in the afternoon and it is somewhat dark. The school is cutting back on energy and we can look each other in the eyes with difficulty. Still, the message is clear and bright. We leave in the middle of a huge cloud of enthusiastic children and students.
In the evening we conclude that this trip leaves an indelible impression, and we’re glad we visited the schools. Flores tourists and our school again show how with limited resources can have a huge impact on this beautiful country.