How internships in Bali, digital pioneering work, important visitors, and viral moments shaped the start of the new school year

Strong Start to the New School Year in Bali

After a well-deserved holiday, the new school year kicked off with great energy. The children returned full of enthusiasm – and our 11th grade students are already in the midst of a very special adventure: the internship in Bali, announced in our last newsletter, is now in full swing.

Since January, four of our students have been working at a renowned 5-star resort – rotating through various departments, from housekeeping to guest services, and applying their classroom knowledge in real-life settings for the very first time.

For teenagers from Papua, many of whom are far from home for the first time, it’s a real challenge – but also a powerful opportunity for growth. Independence, responsibility, new perspectives: this internship is a launching pad that will leave a lasting mark on their life paths. In July, they will return to Sawinggrai – with backpacks full of experience.

Digital Transformation with Model Potential

Our new digital school platform, the Smart Child Aid Papua intranet, is now live – and it’s fundamentally transforming and simplifying our daily routines. The entire school operation is now fully digital: daily schedules, homework, learning modules, absences, and general information are all centrally managed through the platform.

The system was developed by one of our newer teachers, Haekal, who not only demonstrates his social pedagogical skills, but also his flair for forward-thinking technology.

Our students are also learning to adapt to this digital shift and navigate the new automated processes.

Interest in this software solution is already extending beyond our own school: other schools and local authorities in the region have expressed interest in adopting the platform as we had previously presented Smart Child Aid Papua during a regional exchange with other educational institutions. A strong sign that Child Aid Papua is leading the way not only in educational content, but also in technology.

High-Level Visit

In early April, we welcomed visitors from the highest levels of political leadership: the Head of Education for the province of Southwest Papua and the Governor of Raja Ampat visited our school to learn more about our educational philosophy.

Both were deeply impressed by the school’s concept, its implementation – and above all, by the children’s enthusiasm for learning and their vibrant spirit.

Our school was officially recognized as a “Pioneer School of Southwest Papua.”

A true milestone for the entire team – and a powerful motivation to keep moving forward on this path.

Hard Work on the Volleyball Court – Life Lessons Off the Court

Another highlight of the first quarter was our students’ participation in a volleyball tournament in Waisai. With courage and determination, they faced off against students from other schools as well as experienced volleyball teams – and despite being physically outmatched, they impressed everyone with their sense for the game, tactics, and unshakable fighting spirit. Spectators and fellow players alike were equally enthusiastic.

And the excitement keeps growing! We were thrilled to welcome Silvan Zindel, Director of Education at Swiss Volley, to our school. Over the course of 16 intensive training sessions, he guided and inspired our children and youth – and generously brought new volleyball equipment with him.

Since then, the spark has truly caught fire: our students continue to train with passion and determination. They are experiencing firsthand how much they can achieve together when they trust and support each other. And they are learning that commitment, discipline, and perseverance can bring real change – not just in sports, but in their lives.

Visible Progress on Our New School Building

Construction on our new school building is visibly moving forward. Although the Ramadan season meant that some workers returned home for a time, the overall schedule remains on track: completion is still planned for July 2025.

Thanks to renewed support from Urs Schumacher – who already shared his expertise with Child Aid Papua two years ago – we were able to professionally prepare the electrical cabinet for the new building. Planning and material procurement for the interior work are currently underway, and windows and doors are expected to be installed by the end of May.

Our architect Garrett also returned to the site. Based in New York, Garrett travelled directly from Vietnam, where he is overseeing another construction project, and once again invested two full weeks to support the progress of our new school building, the Blue Ocean School. He was thrilled with the progress and quality – which, without his commitment and expertise, simply would not have been possible.

International Documentary Taking Shape – Welcome Back, Simon

Garrett isn’t the only familiar face we were happy to welcome back to Sawinggrai. In March, we also had the pleasure of hosting Simon Lister – photographer, director, and long-time supporter – for the third time.

This time, he didn’t come alone: together with an award-winning video editor and one of the world’s leading underwater filmmakers, the team spent several days filming at our school and in the surrounding area.

Simon’s goal is to complete the extensive photo and video material he has already collected – so that a high-quality documentary about Child Aid Papua can soon be created.

The first scenes are incredibly promising, and we’re already excited to see the final result. The release date is still to be announced – stay tuned!

A Viral Moment – and Suddenly All of Indonesia Is Watching Our Environmental School

What started as a regular classroom moment turned into an internet sensation: a short clip from an English hospitality lesson suddenly went viral.

In the video, two of our students act out a roleplay between a receptionist and a guest – part of a teaching method designed to simulate realistic conversations that our students may later encounter during their internships.

One of our teachers captured the scene on a mobile phone and uploaded it – and then things moved fast: hundreds of thousands of views, shares on national platforms, and even a repost from Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism.

The responses ranged from “How can I enroll my kids there?” to media inquiries from Jakarta.

A simple classroom exercise – and within days, we were making headlines across Indonesia.