Myuran and Ivar Schou. Photo: Sindre Sæther LillebyThe students in jail participate in examinations after the end of the course and receive a certificate of participation. Myuran is very concerned regarding giving the inmates opportunities to develop their personalities and to acquire skills that are important to society after serving time. When lecturing in prison Schou speaks English and Gunayasa translates to Indonesian. In this way all students attending the course will understand what is thought regardless of cultural background and mother tongue. In addition to theoretical courses, emphasis is stressed on the prisoner’s practical skills and need for physical activities. Boxing lessons have been carried out in prison, with the head of Sport at Gateway College Martin Staxrud in the lead, and courses in drama will be started. Lecturers at Gateway College develop courses in marketing and introduction to computer programs.
Myuran being rehabilitated and working to help his fellow men in jail, cooperates well with the prison management who have welcomed educational programs and activities in the prison and contributed to the implementation. The good relationship between Myuran, the management at the prison and Gateway College creates fertile ground for the development of meaningful activities for men and woman serving time in prison. Students at Gateway College have volunteered to work in relation to the prison project. Members of the student’s social committee have been attending meetings with inmates in the prison and money has been collected via auctioning out of paintings made by prisoners. The money will be used to strengthen already existing rehabilitation programs in prison and develop new ones. Through involvement and care the student’s social work for disadvantaged groups in Indonesia is unique.
Photo: Nicolai KarlsenThe students has also been visiting the slums of Jakarta, meeting the people who live in extreme poverty. This way they have been establishing cross cultural understanding and through collecting resources helping to improve the difficult conditions for the people living there; in relation to health and education. When it comes to the project in the slums, Gateway College is cooperating with Interkultur, an NGO organization based in Jakarta working for poverty reduction. Social work is also linked directly to the academic subjects Gateway college offers. From orphanages children visits Gateway college study centre in Jimbaran to learn from sports students and do sports activities. Students within cultural psychology, travel to visit children in orphanages and get practical experience in this context. Funding is collected for food and education and for the improvement of falsities.
Mr. Schou stresses the importance of social aid projects on all levels and the positive and constructive part of working in this way by being directly connected to the persons living under difficult conditions. He invites all who would like more information social projects in Bali, or want to contribute, to contact him on: ivar@gatewaybali.no