^{Aliya helping kids at Despuri Ceria with English word}

There’s a lesson I never found in a lecture hall, and one that isn’t written in any policy document, no matter how thick. I only discovered that lesson when I stopped reading about communities and started being present within them. 

From January to April 2026, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Wadah Foundation. As a Master’s student in Public Policy and Management, I arrived with a sense of curiosity: how does a foundation actually operate behind the scenes? It turned out that what I took away went far beyond that answer. I returned home with a conviction that is now deeply rooted within me: good policy begins with closeness. We’ll never truly understand a community from reports alone. We have to be there, listen, and see for ourselves how people live and what burdens they carry. 

The Warmth That Greeted Me Right from the Start 

My first visit took me to the Despuri community. There, I met Sherly, Bunda Pur, and the early childhood education (PAUD) teachers, who welcomed me with open arms and taught me everything. 

At first, I thought I had come to give, but what I felt first was that I was actually receiving. That warmth still lingers within me to this day. From the very first day, they made me feel like part of the family. That’s when I began to understand the true meaning of empowerment: an empowered community isn’t one that waits to be helped, but one that is capable of embracing anyone who comes. 

^{First meeting with Despuri Community}

In Warabal, I heard a story that has left a lasting impression on my heart. Mrs. Kiswanti refused to give in to the negative reputation that had long been attached to her region. She started small: creating a space for literacy and learning in her backyard. From that small backyard, a two-story learning center now stands, serving the entire community, and not far from there, a nutrition kitchen is currently under construction. From her, I learned one thing that lies at the heart of this entire journey: true change is never rushed. It grows slowly, through people who genuinely care. 

When Simply Observing Is No Longer Enough 

After those first visits, I felt that simply observing was no longer enough. Drawing on my experience teaching English, my mentor and I developed a simple English teaching module filled with songs, games, and everyday conversations. We hoped it would become a resource that future volunteers could easily pick up, so that English learning could continue even without a dedicated English teacher. I want to leave behind something that remains alive, long after my time of service has ended.

^{Aliya teaching kids at PAUD Despuri Ceria}

The place that left the deepest impression on my heart was the Despuri Early Childhood Education Center, where I taught almost every day. My first few days were full of challenges and even failures. But thanks to the teachers’ patience, I learned three lessons that no university teaches: to slow down, to simplify, and to let the children take the lead. Then a small miracle happened: every morning, the children began greeting me in English and singing songs, even before class started. It was in those small moments that I felt the richest. 

The Love of Mothers That Changed the Way I View the World 

If there’s one thing that has touched my heart the most throughout this journey, it’s the love mothers have for their community. I saw it in the teachers who kept learning despite the challenges. In the mothers I met at the East Jakarta Early Childhood Education competition. In the way the entire community gathered around their children. They don’t do it for praise. They do it because they genuinely care, day after day, selflessly. 

^{Aliya bring her friends to PAUD Despuri Ceria}

I only truly understood the deepest meaning of it all when I returned to Despuri to attend the early childhood education graduation ceremony, this time with my own mother. A warm welcome poured in from the teachers, the children, and all the mothers in the community. My mother was even embraced and included in the ceremony, as if she had long been part of the Despuri family. Standing there, beside my mother, surrounded by those families, I finally understood what my time at Despuri had meant. The circle of love was complete: I, a child raised by a mother’s love, stood in the midst of  a community driven by the love of mothers, opening the way toward a better future for their children. 

Change Is Built One Morning at a Time 

Looking back, this experience changed the way I view change. True change rarely begins with policy documents or in meeting rooms. It is born from people who care, and from trust built one morning at a time. I’ve also become increasingly convinced that education is not merely lessons in a classroom; it is the foundation upon which a child’s entire future is built. 

^{Aliya with teachers and kids at PAUD Despuri Ceria}

I came to give, but I returned home with a heart that was far richer. Thank you, Wadah Foundation, for opening my eyes and connecting me with people whose warmth and dedication I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Because in the end, change isn’t imposed from above. It’s nurtured up close—through a single greeting, a single song, one morning at a time. 

Author: Aliya Penn – Volunteer with the Wadah Foundation’s Volunteer Program

Editor: Grace Sri Maria Situmorang