Vilma Kitong is a primary school teacher who has devoted herself to the field of education. As an upper-grade teacher, she is used to working with students who are already more independent in their learning. However, her new journey as a Local Facilitator in the KREASI program with Wahana Visi Indonesia opened up a new perspective in her profession.
In the second year of KREASI program implementation, Vilma took part in literacy training that became one of the most memorable experiences in her career journey. During the training, she not only received materials, but also experienced a joyful learning atmosphere, a strong sense of togetherness, and support from an inspiring facilitator team.
“During the activity, I felt very happy because I could meet and learn directly from the main facilitators and an excellent team,” she recalled.
Before joining the training, Vilma realized that she did not yet fully understand how to teach lower-grade classes. For her, teaching younger students requires a different approach: more patience, more structure, and clear stages, especially in literacy instruction. This became a new challenge for Vilma, as she had been more accustomed to teaching grade 6 students.
Through the training, Vilma began to understand the importance of teaching methods that are suited to children’s age and developmental stages. She learned how to create a supportive classroom atmosphere, as well as how to guide students step by step in understanding foundational literacy.
The change was strongly felt after the training ended. Vilma acknowledged that her understanding had increased significantly. Now, she feels more confident if one day she has the opportunity to teach lower-grade classes. Not only that, she has also begun sharing the knowledge she gained with fellow teachers at her school.
She sees her role not only as a participant, but also as a driver of change within her school environment. With renewed spirit, Vilma is ready to support school mentoring with her team, bringing more effective and enjoyable literacy teaching methods to children.
“Change begins when we are willing to learn again. I believe that by continuing to share and applying the right methods, we can help more children enjoy learning and achieve a better future.”
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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 | Editor: Andika Ramadhan | Photo: Revian Luther Hontong/KREASI/Wahana Visi Indonesia/Save the Children