(Air Mancur English Course Community, Alor)

By: Yusuf Tande

At the end of April, precisely on Friday, April 30, 2021, Air Mancur English Course (AMEC) celebrated one year anniversary of its journey in Air Mancur village, Northeast Alor district, Alor regency, 40 kms from Kalabahi city to the east. AMEC accompanies children in the English learning community. This one year gives experiences of up and down moment to foster the spirit of learning and educating the children in a village far from the advanced education, the access to technology, and the crowd of a city.

The Air Mancur English Course (AMEC) Learning Community (KB-AMEC) was established and grew from a calling as active citizens in reaching children in rural areas and introducing the importance of education in villages, especially English language education as an international language. In addition, developing a linguistic culture, namely the regional language or mother tongue as the first language in preserving regional language culture or mother tongue from extinction.

This community is running for one year with 30 children from elementary, junior, and high school levels. They come from Air Mancur village and the closer village around, Kamot, about 2 kilometers from Air Mancur, which they go back and forth through the hills on foot. Most of them are children from farmer families who depend on their gardens and fields for a living, but it does not stop their enthusiasm to learn English twice a week on Friday and Sunday afternoon using one of the elementary school rooms in Tipiting village.

The idea of ​​Yusuf Tande, S.Pd and Alon A. Tande, S.Pd to pioneer this community movement started from a commitment to become 'Active Citizens' to do something positive for their hometown, although some other young people prefer to stay and work in the city. This community has gone through up and down in facilitating and educating village children with learning methods that are suited to children’s interests and needs.

Promoting education for children in the village is not easy, and not to get praise. The children learn for their future, develop hidden talents, and dare to dreams for a better future. AMEC is in the village of Salem, Pasi and together with this community, the collaboration with all parties called the 3 stone furnaces including  Government, Church, and Society (parents) continue.

At the end of this month, AMEC continues to improve the learning class, with learning support facilities, as well as teaching methods according to children's needs so that they can sharpen their knowledge and pursue their dreams so that they are not inferior compared to children in the city. The multiplication Program of Stube-HEMAT in Alor become the partner and the encouragement to inspire and to keep AMEC moving. Despite being existed in the village, we are still part of this country, and education is our lifeblood. We will continue our fighting from the village for Indonesia. ***