Our Journey
Sokola Tengger is a contextual educational program that seeks to develop the literacy and advocacy skills of the Tengger Indigenous children and youth living in the BTS National Park. The curriculum highlights Tengger's local knowledge as a agricultural farmer such as; potato, onion leaf, and cabbage. Sokola Tengger facilitate local teacher to make their own learning module with Tengger language and dialect. Besides, the volunteer also involve on the adat meeting called Paruman.
The high rate of illiteracy in Jember Regency encourages Sokola to establish a literacy program. Sokola conducted a field study in 2015 in Sumbercandik, part of Panduman Village which is located at the foot of Mount Argopuro, then and started a literacy program in 2016. People in Sumbercandik are from Madura whose ancestor migrated during the Dutch era to work on plantations there. The poor road conditions make it difficult for children to go to the elementary school which is about 5 km below their village. The program, was attended by children and adults. Sokola also assistsed coffee farmers to organize themselves to engage in fair trade and increase their income.
While illiteracy rate in Asmat district is more than 50%, Mumugu Batas Batu village has more than 97% illiterate people. The remoteness, cultural reasons and costly transportation are some of the contributing factors. In 2013, Sokola collaborated with the Diocese of Agats to organize a literacy program for children and adolescents in Kampung Mumugu Batas Batu. This program involved 92 learning participants who are now literate and can apply their literacy skills in their daily lives.
The literacy program for the Tayawi Tribe in Tidore Islands, North Maluku was initiated in 2007-2009 by Sokola and held in collaboration with local NGOs there. The Tayawi people are a tribe of hunters and gatherers who live around the forest in the Ake Tajawe National Park.
In August 2007, Sokola began a literacy program for the Tanatoa, an indigenous community who live around the customary forest in the district of Kajang, in Bulukumba region of South Sulawesi. They believe that the forest should be preserved as it is, not to be expanded nor contracted. Traditional Kajang people wear black as a symbol of simplicity. This resulted in Kajang children not being able to attend the local government school because they were required to wear a coloured uniform. Sokola's volunteers lived in the community and conducted learning activities for children at a time and place that follows their daily lives.
Located on a small island in Flores, NTT, Wailago is a disaster-prone village. The tsunami in 1992 destroyed their school, leaving the next generation illiterate. Sokola's literacy program began in 2005 and followed by vocational program, encourage the people to participate in government's School Equivalency Program, and strengthening community organizations. In 2012, PAUD Sokola Wailago was formed which was managed independently by the community to prepare Wailago's children to enter elementary schools outside their hamlet.
In addition to the literacy programs mentioned above, Sokola also developed the Sokola Post-Disaster program between 2005-2009, providing support to communities and children in disaster-affected areas such as Aceh, Garut, Yogyakarta, Klaten, and Pariaman. Despite the post-disaster context, the program used the same approach as Sokola’s literacy programs, with Sokola volunteers living in the disaster areas alongside the residents. The post-disaster program focused on supporting children in adjusting to new situations after disasters and assisting communities in organizing aid and recovery efforts.