November this year Bethe, Marjon and Truus traveled to Flores, to whitness the status of EduChild’s projects with their own eyes. Obviously at their own expense.  It seems that the ever growing Labuan Bajo is in need of professionals in the construction industry because nowadays professionals are being flown in from Bali and Java. That’s why we started a promising cooperation with Father Marsel, to educate professionals, led by locals. More about this you’ll read in this article, but first we want to bring a lasting important issue to your attention: water scarcity.

Water is the most important source of life

That water is still a luxury on Flores has become well known under our friends. If you are Lucky enough to visit this beautiful island one day, you’ll  experience a place whereas time has stood still for a moment. At the School of Tourism in Labuan Bajo, girlstudents still wash their laundry by hand (see photo). Using the Mayor’s water, who lives a little further down the road.
Unfortunately watersupply is a different story for the vegetable gardens of the school. After a dry season, where no rain has fallen in five months, not a drop of water is to be found in the well near the gardens. This well should provide the land with the necessary moisture to enable the already planted cassava, banana, tomatoes and pumpkins to flourish. So it’s time to roll up our sleeves and make the well suited to irrigate the land all year-round. Upcoming period will be used to further excavate the well, so more space will result in keeping more water for dry periods.

Demand of good practitioners is everywhere in the labor market

On our Facebook page and our last newsletter we gave a sneak preview of a new project. With Bethe, Marjon and Truus coming to Labuan Bajo, time had arrived to make big steps with project “Flores Learning Center. Where professionals can acquire proper knowledge in their area of expertise, which is in demand on the labor market. Courses in hospitality or training as a Carpenter for example, is what Flores practitioners need. Our goal is that students at the end of the training will find work much easer. With this additional knowledge they will most likely exercise their profession properly and thereby with more pleasure an satisfaction.
Together with local role models we have made a start to lift of this project. Therefor we employed Ica (Photo: 1st left) a great asset because of her previous commitment and work as a project manager for Swiss Contact. This NGO from Switzerland does many projects in education and tourism in Indonesia. Ica has started the first project, training carpenters for Construction, in collaboration with Father Marsel (photo: right). Father Marsel owns a carpentry business and offers the use of his shop to the Learning Center. EduChild provides for the tools. We start with a group of eight students who are trained by the workshopmanager.
Flores Learning Center offers many future opportunities to expand knowledge for various professions. Surely your help will be very welcome. You know where to find us if you want to contribute. Donations can also be done online.