you know how much you hated school when you were growing up? and all the times you would pretend to be sick so you didn't have to go? or were you one of those kids that never missed a day and got an award at the end of the year for perfect attendance?
well whatever you are and whoever you are, I'm sure you didn't go to school in the middle of a dump. last week we visited a local school which is located in Bantar Gebang. it was pretty amazing to drive through jakarta, from plaza indonesia sprawling with shopping malls, louis vuitton shops, expensive restaurants and ridiculously rich expats, to little shanty houses with children running around in bare feet, laughter, smiles, food cooking in street cafes and traffic, then driving through a tip where people are filthy with mud, grime and rubbish juice, all smiles still but quite evidently struggling. what was probably the most shocking was to leave the bus and be hit with incredible stench and the stink. it was like being slapped around the face with the smell.
the school was interesting, i honestly don't think it was as special as it could have been because the children weren't that excited to see us - i have a feeling its a bit of a tourist attraction and these kids see us bule's (whiteys) a few times a week. but a fascinating and touching experience nonetheless.


the school is run by a small ngo with only a few teachers. the kids don't have to pay anything to go but most of the time the parents don't want them to go. and keep them in to help with the sorting of the rubbish, peeling the labels off the jars, or putting the plastic with the plastic, the parents don't want their children to go to school. its a weird process, children here are encouraged to not get an education so that they can work the shitty jobs that educated people don't want to do.
the best bit of the whole day was when the children decided to play soccer in the rain. i was gutted that i was wearing a white top. I'm not sure the muslim parents would have appreciated that.