INDRAGIRI HILIR, RIAU — The orange-colored sunlight began to hit a house that stood firmly among the trees and oil palm plantations in Palas Village, Tembilahan Hulu, Indragiri Hilir. It was a morning full of enthusiasm for Hafni Salsabila (12), a student of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Swasta (MIS) Nurul Huda Desa Pulau Palas who had been getting ready for school since morning.
She packed her school supplies and rode off on her favorite bicycle to welcome something that she had been looking forward to for a long time. He pedaled for about two kilometers. Along the rocky road, Hafni had to control her bicycle to the right and left to avoid the holes caused by the damaged road.
At exactly 08.00 WIB, Thursday (07/18/2024), Hafni and all students from MIS Nurul Huda Desa Pulau Palas had gathered to welcome the invited guests who were present that day. Because today is the inauguration of two new classrooms at MIS Nurul Huda.
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Yes, after more than 30 years of establishment, the MIS Nurul Huda school building finally underwent construction renovations. The renovation of MIS Nurul Huda in Palas Village is a donation from Dompet Dhuafa donors managed through the education program – the Millennial Build Schools (MBS) movement with Dompet Dhuafa Riau.
Two locals were successfully built in a period of six months since last November 2023. This is certainly happy news for MIS Nurul Huda students and teachers. The new classroom will be used for local 6, while the next room is for local 5, because there are quite a lot of lessons for high classes. With high hopes that students and teachers can be more appropriate and qualified in the teaching and learning process.
Long before that day, for decades the students and teachers of MIS Nurul Huda had been studying in a cramped school building. How could it not be? The school only had three classrooms, each filled with three different classes that were only bordered by plywood, as a teaching and learning space, as well as a teacher’s office. The walls, windows and floors are also made of wood.
MIS Nurul Huda is often flooded. The road to the school is also covered with water. The courtyard, which used to be piled with coconut husks to reduce the water content, is now better. The students and teachers used to be unable to wear shoes like now, only wearing flip-flops or even barefoot. Shoes were carried in plastic and only worn at school. They didn’t even have ceremonies for some time, because the courtyard was flooded ankle-deep.
“The school is segregated, so it’s noisy and distracting, so I can’t focus on my studies. Sometimes it also floods when it rains on the road to school and in the field. If it doesn’t rain, sometimes the tide is high. When it flooded, there was no ceremony because the water was up to my ankles. When I came (to school), I wore my shoes to class, from home I didn’t wear shoes but sandals, until I got to class I wore shoes,” said Hafni.
Of course, this condition is very disturbing, especially because the teaching and learning activities in the room are only separated by thin plywood. This situation makes the education process uncomfortable, especially because the sound from the next class is often loud.
But this did not dampen the determination of Hafni and her friends to continue studying. Hafni herself has a dream to become an Ustazah. Being the only school in Pulau Palas Village, MIS Nurul Huda is certainly a hope for the community as a basis for education.
“After all, I also want to go to school, I have something to achieve, I want to become an Ustazah. I have finished the Qur’an, I want to study religion and recite the Qur’an too, I want to help people to recite the Qur’an,” Hafni added.
“The feeling now is very happy, because I can study with focus and can study with friends. Happy and happy. Thank you Dompet dhuafa donors, for building the MIS Nurul Huda school building, “added Hafni.
The new classroom that now stands firmly was inaugurated directly by Dompet Dhuafa together with PJ. Regent of Indragiri Hilir Regency, Herman, SE. MT, which was marked by cutting the ribbon and signing the inscription. Herman also appreciated the millennial movement and the Dompet Dhuafa program which was very concerned with education in Indonesia in the interior.
“Today’s millennials through Dompet Dhuafa have first thought about building new classrooms, and this is sustainable and sustainable. And from these millennial genes, it becomes a lesson that something like this has many benefits for the community, so this also triggers millennials in Indragiri Hilir Regency to think about moving like Dompet Dhuafa to carry out movements that are of great benefit to the community,” Herman said when interviewed by the Dompet Dhuafa team.
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In addition, MIS Nurul Huda Teacher Council, Siti Munawarah (37) expressed her deep gratitude for the assistance from Dompet Dhuafa. Thanks to this assistance, their school can be built more properly, including two new classrooms. Children can now study comfortably in a wider classroom, without noise interference from the next class. The children are also very happy and enthusiastic about the new classrooms.
“My hope is that our school can develop again, both in terms of learning materials, the quality of the teachers and then from development, hopefully it will improve even more. And for the students, hopefully they can learn more comfortably, more safely and more focused in learning in the future. Of course, we will be more enthusiastic in teaching, especially since we are no longer mixed with outside sounds so we can focus more, to accompany the children so that they are more focused and not disturbed by outside conditions,” said Siti Munawarah.
Through the Millennial Build Schools program, Dompet Dhuafa not only provides classroom assistance, but also provides ongoing assistance. This was conveyed by the Branch Manager of Dompet Dhuafa Riau, Hendi Mardika.
“InsyaAllah, with the help of these two classes, it will be fully utilized by the younger siblings at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Nurul Huda. Our hope is that we will not only build physically for this school, we will also provide assistance through several programs with Dompet Dhuafa, related to how management or related to learning in this school and how teachers also get training,” Hendi said.
The portrait of the next generation of the country is on the shoulders of those who are struggling to learn even with classrooms that are far from reasonable. With the spirit of #BersamaUntukSesama, let’s HELP NOW to realize a comfortable learning class for the children of the nation’s next generation! (Dompet Dhuafa)
BUILDING SCHOOLS IN REMOTE AREAS
Text and photo: Anndini
Editor: Dhika Prabowo