Earlier this year, a series of workshops for leaders of the Children’s Forest Program (CFP) were held in Indonesia as part of the projects supported by the TOTO Water Environment Fund.
In Indonesia, the infection of Corona virus has been spreading, and almost all schools have stopped face-to-face lessons and are conducting remote lessons utilizing internet or groups studies with a small number of children. With fewer opportunities to directly communicate with others, however, there are concerns not only about learning but also about the impact on children’s personality formation.
Against this background, the workshops were held to address the various worries that teachers have. Originally, representative from all over the country were scheduled to meet together. For preventing the infection, however, it was decided to hold in the form of gathering in 5 places in each area for a period of 2-3 months. In total, 65 teachers from 62 schools participated. In addition, 58 participants including CFP coordinators and government officials took part.
At the venues, besides various lectures, conducted also demonstration guidance of environmental education activities that can done at home such as how to use medicinal plants and recycling work.
Because the workshops were carried out for each region, it took time to coordinate, but it proved to be meaningful to have discussions focusing on the characteristic and issues of the region.
Meanwhile, in order to share the results of face-to-face workshops in each region, they held an online debriefing session on March 15. The representative of each region reported that even when face-to-face lessons were not conducted, teachers in cooperation with parents carried out maintenance of planted sites, and also CFP activities were being continued while devising measures such as promoting the cultivation of vegetables and medicinal plants in each child’s home. Since the current situation is considered to continue for the time being until the Corona pandemic subsides, it is expected that the newly acquired knowledge will be utilized in future environmental education.
Also in 2021, with a grant from the Fund, we plan to continue supporting water environment improvement and environmental education at schools in Demak Province, Central Java where the effects of coastal erosion are serious.
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