More Students, More Responsibility, Greater Impact – Child Aid Papua Between Selection, Graduation and Expansion

Inspired and Encouraged: A High-Level Visit from the Capital

The second quarter of 2025 was once again shaped by many inspiring encounters and important developments at our school. We are especially proud of the visit from the wife of the newly elected Governor of Southwest Papua – accompanied by a committee from the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs in Jakarta. The delegation was deeply impressed by the atmosphere, the concept, and the dedication of our students and entire team. Once again, it became clear that Child Aid Papua, as a pioneering school in the province, is gaining recognition not only regionally but also on a national level. This recognition is not only a confirmation of our efforts, but also a clear mandate to continue our path with responsibility and foresight.

106 Applications for 19 Places – Joy and Heartache Side by Side

One particularly powerful sign of the impact of our work was this year’s selection process in May: 106 children and youth applied to continue their education at Child Aid Papua – for only 19 available places. The interviews were conducted in person at our school and were deeply moving. Families travelled for hours – in some cases for two full days by boat and ferry – just to participate in the selection process. This immense effort shows how much trust our school has earned – and how far our reputation now reaches.

Choosing only a small group from so many motivated young people was extremely difficult. Academic performance in general knowledge, math, or literacy is not our sole focus. What matters most to us is the life context and the future potential of each applicant – particularly beyond Child Aid Papua. Priority is given to children from families who cannot afford private schooling – many of them rely on fishing, gardening, or forest work to survive. Our goal is to open up opportunities for exactly those children who would not be able to break the cycle without support.

That’s why we place great importance on including parents in the decision-making process. In Papuan culture, families play a vital role – and parents must be just as committed to our educational concept as their children. That means making time for school and actively supporting their children outside of class. In a context where schools often have poor reputations and frequent teacher absences, education is far from a given. We want to ensure that every admitted child not only gets a place at school but also has the environment needed to reach their full potential.

A Meaningful Farewell – and a Strong Transition

In June, our 9th-grade students successfully passed the national final exams, completing their Junior High School education at Child Aid Papua. Especially encouraging: all of them will continue their studies with us in our Senior High School – bringing with them strong results and a boost in self-confidence.

The graduation celebration was a true highlight: all parents of our 9th graders attended – along with many other parents whose children also successfully completed the school year. It was an emotional and joyful event full of singing, music, and student-created theatre performances. A celebration to remember – especially for our graduates.

Sporting Spirit with Impact – 5th Place out of 12

In addition to academics, sports also played a major role this quarter. For the first time, our students participated in a large volleyball tournament – with teams from all over Raja Ampat and even from Sorong. Despite being clearly the youngest participants, our students achieved an impressive 5th place out of 12 teams, thanks to months of dedicated training. As a boarding school, we believe it is essential to nurture not just intellectual, but also physical and athletic development. This experience showed just how much potential our students have – and it motivates us to keep investing in sports and movement in the future.

From 40 to 60 Students – 40 Living on Campus: We Keep Growing

With the start of the new school year, our community will grow to 60 students – 40 of them will live in the boarding facility. This brings new logistical and infrastructural challenges: sleeping spaces, sanitation, daily routines – everything needs to grow along with us. We've been preparing for this expansion for months. One of the key projects is already well known: our Blue Oceans School – our new school building. With the new class starting, we urgently need additional classrooms. The construction is nearing completion.

At the same time, we are working intensively to ensure that our boarding school life is shaped with the same quality and warmth as our classroom teaching.