It seems incredible to me, that in a program with a duration of only three days, our team creates such a strong bond with the local children we are working with.
Yes, the program is a very intensive one; yes, we have a great group, with team members who actually enjoy interacting with the kids; and yes, the highly-interactive nature of the program and 'playing while learning' (belajar sambil bermain) is a novel experience for most of our young participants.... but even so... it's only three days; not like 'summer camp' where you're together for months with the same groups!
At the end of our last day of our most recent program in the village of Kalobo (with a mix of kids from Kalobo, Sakabu and Waijan, all on the island of Salawati, mid-Raja Ampat), several of the kids broke down in tears when it was time to say good-bye! It's usual that kids will hang around, help us clean up and load our gear, or just generally tag along until we leave the village... but this time, before all that, they asked for our autographs as well! So sweet.
I can only hope that we are able to foster as much love and understanding about the environment in this short time as well!
This was our most memorable 'character' of the group - Robo - a super-outgoing little guy from Sakabu!
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