Many university students want to learn English not only to meet foreigners but also to study abroad one day and continue their postgraduate studies. One of the main universities in the city and the entire province of West Sumatra is the University in Padang where the Faculty of Humanities has the Department of English for university students.
At the end of November 2024, it rained so heavily in the southernmost provinces of Thailand that it flooded like never before. Some elderly people said that they haven’t experienced such a severe flood in their life-time. Streets and houses that usually don’t get flooded, were flooded this year. Many streets were flooded, so people could only wade through water to shops.
“Kahla” has been coming to the children’s reading and play group for several years. Initially, she was very shy and would rarely talk to anyone. Now that she is starting school, her mother is working on teaching her to read. However, they cannot afford to buy books for her. Kahla’s mother is very appreciative to be able to come to the Window to the World Library and borrow books to help Kahla learn.
When SEEDS met Mrs. Yakeen in 2013, she was blind. Severe cataracts obstructed both eyes, but she was fearful of the surgery needed to restore vision. SEEDS partnered with a local foundation in Riau, Indonesia, and sent health workers to Mrs. Yakeen’s isolated village. For months, they encouraged her to give the healthcare system a chance, and she agreed to treatment for her left eye. It was a success. Mrs. Yakeen proudly declared to neighbors that she could see, and others followed her example. Several villagers sought
SEEDS partners with Yayasan Tunas Aksara (YTA) to promote literacy in Indonesia. YTA operates a program called “Saya Suka Membaca” (SSM), meaning “I Like to Read”. SSM was originally conceived as a teacher training program. SSM staff designed and distributed their own contextualized curriculum, auxiliary materials, training, and mentoring, to elementary grade-1 teachers so that they could teach reading well throughout their teaching tenure. Their goals for students were simple: (a) read fluently (b) understand what was read (c) enjoy reading.
The Integrated Farming (IF) program is an initiative that is transforming the lives of marginalized communities in Riau, Indonesia. This farming program aims to implement a sustainable farming method focused on breeding ikan gabus (snakehead fish). The snakehead fish was chosen for its marketability. There is a significant public demand due to the health benefits, market price, and the fact that you can even breed it with limited space.
Within the last year, one SEEDS consultant in south Thailand has made the change from community development projects to educational involvement within a local university. This is a new development and many details are yet to be confirmed, but the goal of educational development through the new role at the local university is the main focus.
In 2023 SEEDS partner Yayasan Tunas Aksara (YTA) trained over 200 teachers across Indonesia as part of its Saya Suka Membaca (“I Love Reading”) program. One of YTA’s areas of focus is Nusa Tenggara Timur Province (NTT), where more than half of primary school children read below the expected standard.
“I am sorry it’s so disgusting” foreign tourists are told before they visit the famous Air Manis beach on the outskirts of Padang, West Sumatra. The beach is famous as the site of the legendary figure Malin Kundang who had a rags-to-riches story but who was ashamed of his mother. On his return home, she cursed him and he was turned into a pile of rocks which visitors go to see. Ironically, Air Manis means ‘sweet water’ but today the sea is littered with plastic bags that are swept on to the beach by every wave.
Last summer holiday, we organized a Chinese cultural exchange program between a group of students from Taiwan University and those from a university in southern Thailand, studying Chinese.
The Taiwanese students prepared various activities to showcase Taiwan and its rich culture. These included games to familiarize everyone with Taiwan’s provinces and cuisine, writing spring couplets, and sampling Taiwanese snacks.