If you are intending to visit Indonesia and have the time to participate in a volunteer program why not consider coming to English classes and helping the students with their English in Cipanas and Cianjur in West Java. These villages are ' off the beaten track' so you have the opportunity of a life time to have an unique experience.The students love to have Western visitors and find listening to native speakers very beneficial in the learning of English.
Usually you will be given free accomodation and meals in a family home so you get to see life as it is in Indonesia for that particular family. Personally I usually give a gift of food i.e fruit as it is usually a lot more expensive then vegetables.
I have had a website (not mine) posted under Travel Stories that tells the story of 3 young Americans who had this experience in 1999 when they stayed with Yudi Sujana and attended his classes.
This website was posted on Thorn Tree in May 2000 and as a result of checking it out, I became involved with Yudi's program and had the most wonderful 2 weeks, helping in the classes and touring the Cianjur area and living day to day in an Indonesian home and fully participating in their lives. It truly was a wonderful experience. I even got to go to a wedding where I was guest of honor.
As result of this time in Cianjur Sept 2000 I met another teacher Andang Heryana and in October 2001 we started private English classes for children whose families cannot afford such lessons.
Now in May 2003 we have 30+ children spread across 3 villages in West Java, Cianjur, Cipanas and Cugenang.
The children are really motivated and have a class on Saturday night at 7.00 p.m.(one of the children Lucky Irvan has a school class until 5.00 p.m.on Sat) and Sundays at 4.00 p.m. Each class goes for between 1.5-2.5 hours depending what is being taught.
Every 3 months the children write me letters which are posted in one big envelope. Then I write back individual letters and post them individually to all the children.
It is such a thrill in the village for each child to get a letter from Australia.
I provide the funds and Andang provides the teaching. He develops his own curriculm and is a very dedicated motivated teacher.
Every year in Dec/Jan I go to visit every-one and spend time with the children in their classes and help them with their English.
Also in January around the 12th-14th we have an annual picnic in the beautiful Cibodas Gardens for the all the children and their families as a Thank You for all their hard work throughout the year.
On Jan 4th this year I hosted a group of 16 people including many of the students from the original group to Bogor for the weekend to see the Bogor Arts Festival and a picnic in the Botanical Gardens on the Sunday.
If any-one is interested and would like to know more, email me at pamelajoyfuge@hotmail.com or Andang at andang.heryana@eudoramail.com
If you would like to be part of Yudi's program then he can be contacted at a new email address cianjur@eudoramail.com