Tana Toraja, August 12, 2024 – The Australian Consul General in Makassar, Mr. Todd Dias, visited children in Tana Toraja who are students at the Natsir Eco School (NES) English language school in Lembang Maroson, Rembon District. This visit demonstrates the Australian Consul General’s commitment to supporting efforts to empower rural communities through education, the development of local products, and environmental awareness for sustainable development.
Natsir Eco School, part of the Rural Resilience Initiatives (RURISE) program managed by Widya Erti Indonesia, provides English language learning opportunities to more than 200 children from five hamlets in Lembang Maroson. The program, which was officially launched on June 27, 2024, has received broad support from the Tana Toraja Regency Government, the Lembang Maroson Government, and the local community.
“Congratulations to Natsir Eco School and the entire team from the RURISE program (Widya Erti Indonesia). I am inspired by this project, which has an extraordinary vision for the children of Tana Toraja through English language skills. The hope is that it will equip children to become actively involved in their region, particularly in the tourism industry,” said Todd Dias, Australian Consul General in Makassar.
Mr. Todd Dias along with volunteer teachers (volunteachers), led a series of English language learning activities with the children. Storytelling , as one of the interactive learning methods, was used to spark the children’s interest in learning. The RURISE program has developed learning methods (including storytelling) with curriculum levels beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Classes at NES utilize the Volunteach approach, which combines volunteerism, education, and tourism. It is hoped that this approach will serve as a means to improve the quality of education for the children of Lembang Maroson.
“We are very excited about the Australian Consul General’s visit and hope to continue strengthening collaborations with various parties like this to further develop the RURISE program,” said Made Wiranatha Krisna, Executive Director of Widya Erti Indonesia.
Natsir, the founder of Natsir Eco School, echoed this sentiment: “We are grateful for this visit, as it will motivate the children to learn English. That way, the children in the village will one day have the tools to develop the tourism industry, which will provide opportunities for local residents in Tana Toraja—not just as bystanders in their own region.”
During this visit, Mr. Todd Dias also spoke with volunteers from various countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, and Indonesia. These volunteers came to Tana Toraja—specifically to Lembang Maroson—of their own accord to teach children to become proficient in English. Together with the volunteers, Mr. Todd Dias also sampled a local chocolate product called Piong Cokla’. It is hoped that this chocolate product will serve as an alternative source of income for villagers and help fund the village’s English language education program to make it more sustainable. In addition, The Australian Consul General donated a variety of books as a way to support efforts to improve children’s literacy at Natsir Eco School.
Moving forward, the Australian Consul General in Makassar welcomes this type of collaboration on rural community empowerment projects. Together with Widya Erti Indonesia, they are committed to expanding the RURISE program so that more rural communities in Tana Toraja can benefit from it and experience its positive impact.
