The spirit of collaboration was once again strengthened through the launch of the second year of the KREASI Program, held on 19 May 2026. The activity, organized by the Majelis Dikdasmen and PNF PP Muhammadiyah together with Save the Children Indonesia, marked the beginning of the program’s next phase in Ketapang District and Kayong Utara District. In addition to the launch of the second-year intervention schools, the event also included the signing of a collaboration commitment by the Head of the Ketapang District PAUD Working Group, the signing of the integrity pact by intervention schools, and a talk show themed “Whole-of-Society Collaboration to Realize Quality Education for All.”
In his opening remarks, KREASI National Program Manager, Gufron Amirullah, stated that in the first year, the program had benefited thousands of students and more than 550 teachers through various training and mentoring activities. “In this second year, the challenges are even greater as the intervention area has expanded from three to seven sub-districts. However, the vast area and geographical challenges do not diminish our spirit to keep moving toward better education,” he said.
KREASI Save the Children Indonesia Chief of Party, Alifah Sri Lestari, emphasized that the second year would use an approach that is closer to schools by bringing training and mentoring directly to intervention locations.
Meanwhile, the Regional Secretary of Kayong Utara District, Erwin Sudrajat, described KREASI as a space for cross-sector collaboration that strengthens literacy, numeracy, and character education.
Echoing this sentiment, the Vice Regent of Ketapang, Jamhuri Amir, emphasized that education is the hope and future of the nation, and can only be realized through the involvement of all elements of society. “Providing quality education cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of the government. It requires the involvement of families, schools, communities, businesses, the media, community groups, and students themselves,” he stated before the participants.
The message of strengthening collaboration was further deepened through a keynote speaker session and talk show featuring national education experts.
In his presentation, Special Staff to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and Chair of the Majelis Dikdasmen and PNF PP Muhammadiyah, Didik Suhardi, reminded participants that the KREASI Program should be seen as a sustainable empowerment movement, not merely a short-term project. “The KREASI Program is not just a project, but an empowerment program. When a project ends, everything ends. But with a program, after it concludes, there must be sustainability, and it must become part of the regional education system,” he emphasized.
He also stressed that the quality of education will never exceed the quality of its teachers, making teacher capacity strengthening a key investment in the future of education.
Meanwhile, during the talk show session, Dien Nurmarina Malik Fadjar reminded participants of the importance of creating real impact for students through a statement that drew participants’ attention: “Let us not leave behind only files, but leave behind real impact.”
Through the spirit of whole-of-society collaboration that continues to be built, the KREASI Program is expected to strengthen students’ literacy, numeracy, and character, while becoming a legacy of good practices that continues to live on within the education ecosystem in Ketapang and Kayong Utara.
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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 Ketapang is managed by Save the Children and implemented by Majelis Dikdasmen PNF PP Muhammadiyah, with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), as well as support from the Government of Ketapang and Indonesia’s Local Education Group, led by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag).
Writer: Afriyandi Nur Huda| Editor: Andika Ramadhan | Photo: Afriyandi Nur Huda/KREASI/Majelis Dikdasmen PNF PP Muhammadiyah/Save the Children