after working with the kids at the day school we traveled some kilometers up the coast to another village where we worked in the local community center with about 40 kids and a number of parents both mothers and fathers. the center runs several after school programs for area kids and also offers adult career training and language courses. these communities are very remote and aside from state funded schools for the kids, with traditional curriculums, there are not any sources for improving local poverty conditions aside from the work being done by The Island Foundation.
"The Island Foundation has begun to build a two-way bridge based on knowledge, skills, culture, tradition and history between the islands of the Riau Archipelago, Singapore and the rest of the world. TIF works in partnership with each target village, employing local villagers and helping them develop the skills with which to take control of their lives and develop a sustainable path out of poverty."
we took a break and suddenly the kids had Hip Hop on the stereo. this international musical language immediately spawned a dance-off
Then back to work making our Sea Manatee locally called a Dugong. These docile sea mammals are becoming endagered in these areas due to resort developments and loss of seagrass habitat
