In January the English Zone run by SEEDS’ partner charity Yayasan Pendar Pagi (YPP) received a group of seven Australian visitors, students from Melbourne and Sydney. Their visit left deep impressions at the English Zone community as one can hear now whenever Australian guests drop in: “Oh, you are from ‘Straya’!” they say, confidently.

It is of great value if the community at English Zone gets exposure to different kinds of English accents which are used around the world. It serves as an excellent preparation of members for possible participation in exchange programmes or study stints in English speaking countries.

Amongst the students from Melbourne was one Indonesian young woman who gave an inspiring presentation to the English Zone community about what it means to study abroad. She was able to share how initial repeated rejection in applications for scholarship study programmes abroad does not always mean the ‘end of a dream’. Perseverance is needed. Several English Zone members were encouraged by her experience.

Our SEEDS worker at the English Zone helps to facilitate presentations and visits like these in cooperation with the local English Zone Coordinator. For a balanced and meaningful culture exchange she is involved in familiarising visitors like these with the specific culture of this Indonesian region.
One exciting outcome of the “Strayan’s” visit is that the Indonesian young woman went away inspired herself to start up an English conversation community in her own Indonesian hometown.

That’s at the heart of SEEDS – bringing dynamic and community-changing people together!