Representatives of the Co-Chair of the Indonesia Local Education Group (LEG) from the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), namely Head of the Madrasah Curriculum, Facilities, Institutions, and Student Affairs Sub-Directorate under the Directorate General of Islamic Education, Abdul Basit, and Director of External Relations for the KREASI at Save the Children, Imelda Usnadibrata, visited a public Islamic primary school (MIN) supported by the KREASI Programme in Tobelo on Friday, 19 June 2026.
The visit by the delegation from Jakarta was part of the monitoring and evaluation of KREASI, which has been implemented since 2025, as well as an opportunity to observe the programme’s progress and strengthened implementation this year. KREASI Halmahera Utara, implemented by Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI), supports 12 of the district’s 23 Islamic primary schools (MI): five in the programme’s first year and seven in its second year.
During the visit, various good practices in strengthening literacy, numeracy, and active learning at KREASI-supported madrasahs demonstrated positive results. The visit also opened opportunities to expand the programme to other madrasahs.
Abdul Basit and the delegation held a direct dialogue with dozens of teachers and several madrasah principals. They shared the achievements and challenges they had encountered during programme implementation.
Principal of MIN, Sastiana Dabi Dabi, said that the support provided through the KREASI Programme had positively impacted the school’s teaching and learning processes.
“Since becoming a KREASI-supported school, MIN 4 Halmahera Utara has shown various positive developments, including strengthened teacher capacity through training on differentiated literacy and numeracy instruction, literacy and numeracy Catch-Up Clubs for students, and no reported cases of bullying within the school over the past two years. The programme has also strengthened the madrasah principal’s leadership in education governance,” said Sastiana.
Meanwhile, Abdul Basit encouraged stronger collaboration and invited teachers to participate actively in KREASI activities.
“Our commitment to improving education services for students is a tangible expression of our devotion to our faith. As a representative of Kemenag, which serves as a Co-Chair of KREASI, we actively ensure that every supported madrasah receives the maximum benefit from the KREASI Programm,” said Basit.
Imelda Usnadibrata stated that through the KREASI Programme, Save the Children and its partners seek to improve the quality of education not only at the school level but also by engaging various stakeholders across the district.
“We support the district government and all education stakeholders in building a stronger education ecosystem. Building quality education is not only about reaching children, but also about strengthening governance and involving all stakeholders, which are essential to creating sustainable change,” said Imelda.
KREASI Program Manager WVI, Rany Monika Purba, said that WVI believes every child has the right to reach their full potential and that education is one of its essential foundations.
“We are therefore committed to working with various stakeholders to ensure that children in Tobelo can fully enjoy their rights. The good practices emerging from KREASI-supported MINs can serve as examples for more madrasahs under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, enabling more children to benefit from them,” said Rany.
The KREASI Program focuses on strengthening the primary education system by building educators’ capacities, promoting quality teaching practices, and engaging communities in creating learning environments that optimally support children’s growth and development.
Through this visit, the shared commitment among the government, schools, and partners is expected to grow stronger in providing inclusive, quality, and sustainable education services in Halmahera Utara.
The event was also attended by Jisman, Head of the Curriculum and Evaluation Team, representing the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Maluku Utara Province, and Head of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Office of Halmahera Utara District, Abdurahman M. Ali.
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KREASI (Collaboration for the Education of Indonesian Children) is a program to improve the quality of education by strengthening literacy, numeracy, and character education. KREASI in Halmahera Utara is managed by Save the Children and implemented by Wahana Visi Indonesia, with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), as well as support from the Government of Halmahera Utara and Indonesia’s Local Education Group, led by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag).
Writer: Revian Luther Hontong, Andika Ramadhan | Editor: Imelda Usnadibrata, Rany Purba | Photo: Revian Luther Hontong/KREASI/Wahana Visi Indonesia/Save the Children