A Creative Teacher

People say, life would be meaningless without a dream. Life would become less meaningful without purpose and high motivation. Likewise in doing things, addressing problems, and then solving them. Immersing ourselves in the things we like for example, is one way of loving and being dedicated. Including in the work we do on a daily basis. Whatever we do out there, doing them with heart is one of the keys to achieving our highest goals. The question then is, how much of our hearts do we give?

Continuing on my writing on the young educators of Indonesia Teaches in my previous post, this time I would like to direct your attention to one of the country’s best teachers: Agus Sampurno.

Why is such a figure, one who teaches daily at a primary school in Jakarta, interesting? Read more

Kartini and the Spirit of Women Empowerment

The last post I touched on the issue of women was in December of last year, coinciding with the day on which the role of a mother is celebrated. On that day, a mother’s role is lavished with great importance, praises and honor. Including my own mother of whom I spoke of in the post. I believe, though, that we can all agree that this does not mean the role of a mother be relegated to the sidelines at other times.

In contrast to that post, this month, we are reminded of Kartini, the woman attributed to having brought change. The spirit of change we inherited from Kartini is one of the reasons behind advances made in the name of emancipation. Although we cannot ignore the fact that discrimination and gender bias still exist, to some extent, the time for in-depth discussions on emancipation should rightly come to an end. If we talk of the women of today, the idea of emancipation feels somehow archaic. For today, along with the deluge of information available to us all, what should be placed top of mind are stories on contributions, ideas, service, and/or anything related to change for a better future. Read more

Brazil Investing in Education Abroad

In line with the last few postings, here’s another article I found that should be of interest to all of us who care about Indonesia’s future. Don’t we wish that we in Indonesia would take the investment in a tertiary education as being necessary for its long term future, as seriously as (say) China and Brazil?

Putera Sampoerna