Last month, we arrived in Indonesia, where we are volunteering with a humanitarian group until the end of September. I previously wrote about some of the cross-cultural adjustments we have navigated with a 13-month-old baby during our adventures so far.

The single biggest adjustment for Squish has been attending “school” for the first time. Her school is an Early Learning Centre (ELC) that my wife Angie and I have established in a remote corner of Indonesia in partnership with a local organisation.

A Dream Realised

The vision for this ELC began many years ago — in 2019, in fact — when Angie and I were just dating. We visited these islands and were aware of the need for an ELC. Over several years, we began raising funds for the project.

As countries panicked in response to Covid-19, the project faced many delays — first with getting the facilities built, and then with us being able to leave Australia and arrive in-country for the centre’s launch.

Finally, we got back to Indonesia in April of last year. We hustled for two months, transforming a shell of a new building into a fully functional Early Learning Centre. Staff were recruited and trained, children registered, and Open Day was hosted in June of last year.

I have also previously written of the strange and wonderful turn of events that took place when we arrived in Indonesia last year. The very day we touched down, we heard from our adoption agency in the United States and were matched with an expecting mother. Thus, over the last year, we were living in America for Elsa’s birth and adoption process.

Fortunately, in our absence, the amazing staff team kept the centre running with Angie directing from afar. Over the last year, a small cohort of five students has now ballooned to 13, and we have since recruited another teacher.

With the news that Angie is pregnant, we have decided to relocate permanently to Australia, in time for the baby’s birth. Over the coming weeks, our plan is to manage handover of the ELC’s leadership to our partner organisation, and ensure the staff are well supplied and trained for the years ahead.

While our formal involvement in the ELC will soon end, we will stay well-connected over the coming years and look forward to visiting again when we are able.

Learning Together

One of the highlights for us has been watching our little Squish enjoy her time in the ELC — a centre we initially built for other children, but that our own daughter now attends! Her favourite activity is playing with the dolls and strollers. She also loves group singing and dancing.

Being just over a year old, Elsa gets exhausted quickly, especially with all of the interactions with so many staff and students. She is taking long midday naps, during which time we are also resting from the heat and hustle.

One of the last projects we hope to complete before we depart is an outdoor nature play garden, complete with sandpit, swings and a mud kitchen.

To say this work is rewarding would be an understatement. It has been a delightful project to be involved with in a corner of the world that is desperately under-resourced. We trust the ELC will be a blessing to the families of this region for many years to come!