Hope of Petaling Village Community, WAGJi's Presence Can Revive PAUD Harapan Hati
Early Childhood Education (PAUD) is an educational unit that organizes coaching efforts aimed at children from birth to 6 (six) years of age which is done through providing educational stimuli to help physical and spiritual growth and development so that children have readiness to enter further education. This is not in line with the condition of PAUD Harapan Hati located in Petaling Village, Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra Province. The teaching and learning process stopped three years ago due to the absence of teachers and the lack of funding.
Harapan Hati was established 4 years ago, initially accommodating approximately 10 students to 15 students. In the second year, enrollment was reopened to 10 to 15 students. And in the third year the school began to experience declining financial conditions, and in the end the students who had registered had to be returned.
The cessation of the Teaching and Learning Activities (KBM) process at PAUD Harapan Hati is regretted by many residents. This is because, before PAUD Harapan Hati opened, residents had to travel 8 to 10 kilometers with badly damaged roads, especially in rainy weather conditions, red soil was always a challenge in taking children to school.
On Sunday, February 9, 2025, a team from the Wahana Global Jambi Foundation (WAGJi) visited the Harapan Hati Early Childhood Education (PAUD) school in Petaling Village, where the teaching and learning process had stopped.
The team also met several residents around the school environment and several surrounding villages, the community has high hopes that PAUD Harapan Hati can be reopened, not only PAUD but also, kindergarten and even elementary school.
"I as a resident of Petaling village hope that Paud Harapan Hati can be reopened, not only at the PAUD level, maybe kindergarten and elementary school" said Mr. Siringoringo, a resident of Petaling Village on Sunday, (9/2/2025).
One of the community leaders in Petaling Village, Datuk Ris, is in full support of the reopening of Harapan Hati PAUD. "I have lived in this village for a long time since 1996, and hope that this school will be revived, because there are so many people who want to go to school," said Ris. He also added that many parties have visited the school, from related agencies to the ministry, but until now there has been no follow-up.
WAGJi, which is one of the organizations engaged in the fields of Education, Agriculture, Plantations, Environment, Social Humanity and Cultural Arts and Tourism, tried to go to the location in order to collect data for support so that teaching and learning activities at the school could resume.
