Andien Opens Fifth Free School in Kampung Apung
Indonesian singer Andien Aisyah has once again proven her commitment to education in the country. Through her foundation, Andien Foundation, she has just opened the fifth Sekolah Anak Percaya (Children of Faith School) in Kampung Apung, West Jakarta.
Unlike the four previous schools serving scavenger neighborhoods, the fifth school was opened specifically for children from families of shellfish peelers, who have a high school dropout rate.
Andien admitted she was disheartened when she first visited Kampung Apung. She saw many school-age children in a corner of the capital forced to work instead of attending formal education.
Seed Funding from Song Royalties Sold as NFT
Andien explained that the social movement's seed funding came from selling the royalties of her song Percaya as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) during the 2022 pandemic era. The proceeds from that NFT sale became the capital to establish Sekolah Anak Percaya.
The first Sekolah Anak Percaya was founded in 2022 in Kampung Pemulung, Pondok Kopi. After Pondok Kopi, schools followed in Joglo, Jurang Mangu, and Rawa Bebek.
Andien chose to build schools directly inside the neighborhoods because school fees are not the only barrier for underprivileged children. Transportation, uniforms, and books are obstacles too.
A Year of Outreach to Kampung Apung Residents
Establishing the school in Kampung Apung was not easy, Andien admitted. Her team needed a full year of persuasive outreach to local residents. The process began last October, and teaching activities could finally begin this October.
When consulting with fellow free-school and PKBM (community learning center) operators, Andien found hesitation about opening classes in areas like scavenger neighborhoods. In her view, the problems there are layered — not only about willingness to attend school, but also civil registration administration and more.
Education as the Way Out of Structural Poverty
Rather than waiting for others, the 41-year-old singer chose to take action herself, inviting many parties to find solutions together.
For Andien, education is the main weapon to break the chain of structural poverty that traps children in marginalized neighborhoods. She believes education can be the way out so they can dream of professions beyond what their families have always done.
