Wae Kuse Children Cross a Fragile Bridge to Get to School; Dr. Ikhsan Sees the Conditions Firsthand

The voices of children can be heard from the morning in Wae Kuse, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. They walk in a line along a narrow footpath, descend into a valley, cross a river using a simple bridge, and then climb back up toward SD Negeri Wae Kuse. They make this journey every day to study.

The children come from Kedungu, Damot, Tadobara, Wongkol Randang, and Tado Kawu villages. For them, SD Negeri Wae Kuse is the place to learn because other schools are located quite far from their villages.

Behind that spirit, there are challenges they continue to face. A bridge made of tree trunks and bamboo is the only access to the school and also the route for community members to reach their fields. When it rains, the river often overflows and activities come to a halt. Teachers and students choose to wait until the water recedes rather than take risks. Residents also remember when the current swept away three children crossing the bridge. Fortunately, they were rescued. In addition, the school still needs access to clean water to support learning activities.

Seeing Wae Kuse’s Conditions Firsthand

These conditions brought Human Initiative and Dr. Ikhsanuddin Qothi to visit Wae Kuse. Dr. Ikhsan is known as a doctor and health education content creator who actively shares information through social media and takes part in various social activities.

Instead of going directly to the school, Dr. Ikhsan chose to follow the route the children take every day. Step by step, he descended into the valley, crossed the wooden bridge, and climbed until he reached the school.

“To reach the school, I had to go down into the valley, cross a fragile wooden bridge, and walk uphill for more than 20 minutes. This is the route the children take every day,” said Dr. Ikhsan.

Upon arriving at SD Negeri Wae Kuse, the community welcomed Dr. Ikhsan and the Human Initiative team through a traditional ceremony. The children then performed a traditional dance and invited Dr. Ikhsan to play traditional games with them.

The visit continued with a dialogue involving the principal, teachers, traditional leaders, the village head, parents, and community members. They shared stories about the journey to school, the condition of the bridge, and the clean water needs they still face.

Before ending the visit, Dr. Ikhsan invited the children to learn through a multiplication quiz held with great enthusiasm. Human Initiative also distributed school kits to 79 students to support their learning activities.

The journey in Wae Kuse shows that children continue to keep their spirit for learning despite limited access. The community hopes a safer bridge and clean water access can soon be available so the journey to school becomes more comfortable.

Dear Initiator can be part of this effort through collaboration for good with Human Initiative at solusipeduli.org. Together, we can help provide safer access for the children and the Wae Kuse community.