National Education Day 2024, Aruna’s and Maritime Foundation’s Modest Step to Encourage Coastal Children

DKI Jakarta, Indonesia – “Bergerak Bersama, Lanjutkan Merdeka Belajar” (“Moving Forward, Continuing the System of Free Learning”) was set as the main theme of National Education Day on May 2, 2024 by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. As written in the National Education Day Commemoration Guidelines, the Ministry of Education and Culture suggested all agencies create fun activities to celebrate National Education Day 2024. This all was to encourage public participation and raise enthusiasm for learning. Aruna and the Maritime Foundation celebrated the big day by giving school equipments and regularly donating books on general knowledge, religion, and fiction, at Aruna’s operational points.

Meanwhile, the locations where Aruna donated the school equipment and books were spread all around the country, from Aceh, Lampung, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku, to Papua. This donation aimed to support some of the learning needs of more than 500 coastal children who came from economically disadvantaged families. Since the ceremonial procession of this agenda was held in Muara Gading Mas Village, Labuhan Maringgai, Lampung, Aruna got the honor to have the attendance of the Village Head, representatives of BPJS TK, and representatives of the local Navy.

Wahyono, the Head of Muara Gading Village, said, “To encourage public involvement in celebrating National Education Day 2024, Aruna and the Maritime Foundation are implementing this agenda in several places, including in our village. This reminds me of the three mottos in our educational system. First, ‘Ing Ngarso Sung Tulodo’, which means: ‘Up front, an educator should set an example of commendable action.’ Second, ‘Ing Madyo Mangun Karso’, which means: ‘Among students, teachers should be able to give ideas.’ Third, ‘Tut Wuri Handayani’, which means: ‘A teacher should be able to provide support and direction.’ Well, this third point is manifested through an initiation like this. It doesn’t have to be a big step to give a real positive impact.”

Fisher and coastal community regenerations were a paramount necessity as well as a strategic step to answer future challenges. In Papua, for example, there were only 36.1% of grade 3 elementary school students having adequate literacy skills. This makes Aruna even more convinced that real support for the literacy of coastal children was something crucial to give. They were perceived to be the major successors that would keep their parents’ work as fishers on going. They were believed to bring further blockbust the industry.

Utari Octavianty, the Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Aruna, affirmed, “Who will take care of our oceans in the future if not coastal children? With simple, concrete steps, let’s prepare them to become the ultimate successors who will also manage our oceans in a much better way. In the future, they are indeed required to understand the concept of sustainability and other things that are more practical. However, this all shall start with their literacy skills. At their current age, by providing support through simple things like this, it is expected that they can have more willingness to learn, as well as to find out about good things they don’t know yet.”