Impact In Numbers
- Rebuilt 335 schools across Indonesia.
- In one of their areas of focus in the underprivileged area of NTT, they’ve built 150 schools so far (accounting for close to 50%)
- Opened up 700 new classrooms and rebuilt 24 libraries.
- 92k+ children and 464k+ community member served
- The eco-blocks are 100x lighter than reinforced concrete and has a seismic resistant design
- Each classroom built with the eco-block can help remove 2-4 tons of plastic waste
- A classroom can be built in as little as 8 hours, making it faster to build with than conventional building material
Key Insights
- Resource management - prioritize the problem that you want to solve based on the potential impact vs effort and resources required. For Happy Hearts, although they wanted to build schools in all regions in Indonesia that needed them, they focused on underprivileged regions first.
- Leverage on frameworks - when measuring the successfulness of a program, use frameworks that help identify and track what’s important to the organization. For Happy Hearts this is the MRS (Maintenance Rating System)
- Always continuously track and update your metrics - keep an open mind when approaching your Monitoring and Evaluation process. For Happy Hearts, they periodically adjust their metrics, for instance added a metric within the MRS (from 3 metrics to now 4)
Berdaya Talk is an initiative that explores the stories of change makers and the initiatives they have developed to support sustainable development in Indonesia. This time, we spoke with Astri Yohana Simbolon (Astri), Impact Manager at Happy Hearts Indonesia.
Hi Astri, can you tell us more about Happy Hearts and the problem your organization is currently tackling?
Happy Hearts Indonesia is a non profit organization that is based in Jakarta with the mission of tackling the problem of unequal access to safe school buildings, hence quality education.
We focus in areas that are more underdeveloped or underprivileged across Indonesia affected by poverty and natural disasters. We’ve done some twists here and there but essentially we rebuild schools and build libraries, and also started to build computer labs very recently.
Which specific regions are you currently focused at and what's the rationale behind focusing on those areas?
Though we actually want to be able to build all the schools that need a new school building, especially those that are affected by natural disasters and poverty, we decided to focus on several areas keeping the resources we have in mind.
Our main area of focus includes East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and also some schools in Java island.
Why did we decide to support these regions first? When we refer to the data from Indonesia’s National Statistics Agency, NTT for example, is the third poorest region in Indonesia – it has a very low human development index compared to other regions as well.
A lot of times people compliment the beauty of NTT, that it’s like heaven on earth, they have beautiful sceneries, but also it’s quite sad to see that the human development there is very much limited because of access, and logistics issues.
We want to focus on areas that have not really been given enough attention.
Can you talk about the colorful schools you are rebuilding?
Happy Hearts has been rebuilding schools for about 10 years now.
Last year, we decided to work with our now partner, Block Solutions Indonesia. They produce and manage eco bricks – so this is a very interesting alternative to conventional materials that we have been using for 10 years.
Obviously, this is a change that we’re taking our time with. We keep doing deep research on how sustainable this is but it’s very nice to understand that we’re taking our part in also responding to the plastic pollution issue in Indonesia that has been very prolonged and has been worsening unfortunately. I think that’s the biggest twist we’ve done so far in terms of our projects.
How many schools have you built to date all across Indonesia?
So we’ve rebuilt 335 schools in total across the country – it sounds like a lot and we’re very proud of it, but there’s so much more to do, so much room to fill.
In our focus areas like NTT, it’s about 150 schools so far which is about 700 new classrooms and we’ve rebuilt about 24 libraries.
How do you support the ecosystem of the school that you rebuilt?
I’m really passionate about this question because it resonates deeply with the work my team and I do in the Impact Division.
So a very key aspect of our projects is that we don’t just build schools. We want to harness this good relationship and also help them thrive so that it can be sustainable. We do that through our 3 years development program and within these three years, we monitor the progress of the schools.
We monitor the infrastructure, the teacher and student growth, how involved the community is, and how well the school is being managed.
So these are four aspects that we monitor and then from the data that we acquire in that process, we then evaluate to better understand how each school needs our support.
We firmly believe in the importance of understanding that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, especially when it comes to schools.
Even two schools in NTB and NTT, though geographically close, may encounter vastly different challenges. So evaluating the data has been a very important part of our project aside from the monitoring process that we do regularly.
We also conduct school management training for schools that are rebuilt by Happy Hearts. This is a training that we give to the school principals, school committee, and also school treasurers. We really want to focus on empowering them with the skill sets to manage their finances.
We’re tackling issues stemming from insufficient funding, a widespread problem across Indonesia. School communities often lack basic knowledge on managing their finances and effectively communicating with stakeholders, such as local governments responsible for fund distribution.
Our aim with this training is to bridge that gap and empower communities with the necessary skills and understanding.
We’re thrilled to witness the positive outcomes of our training reflected in the achievements of our alumni. It’s inspiring to see how they’ve leveraged their newfound skills to innovate and upgrade, such as establishing school canteens.
Moreover, some schools have been able to invest in educational resources like toys and laptops, significantly enhancing the learning experience for their students.
It truly brightens our day to witness how they’ve become more empowered, or as we say in Indonesian, “berdaya,” to thrive and grow as educational institutions.
Can you provide some real examples of how data has helped you tailor your programs to the different regions you support?
We found it intriguing that many schools were underperforming compared to previous years. While financial challenges are often assumed to be the culprit, we noticed a different trend emerging, particularly in the past year: a lack of community involvement.
To illustrate, let’s consider a school we monitor in Kupang, NTT. Despite being only in its second year post-reconstruction, the school’s condition had significantly deteriorated. This raised concerns among our team, especially since there were no reported natural disasters during that period.
Upon investigation, we discovered that while the community had a school committee in place, it was merely a formality. They weren’t convening regularly, nor were they actively fostering a sense of ownership of the school.
Armed with this insight, we took proactive steps to engage the school community. We facilitated gatherings that brought together parents, school leaders, local communities, and representatives from the local government. Through these collective efforts, we aimed to address the school’s needs collaboratively and instill a sense of shared responsibility for its well-being.
It may sound sentimental, but fostering a sense of ownership is a pivotal quality we strive to cultivate in our schools. We often remind them that these aren’t just Happy Hearts Indonesia schools; they’re communities’ schools that we’ve helped rebuild.
The realization that the issue wasn’t solely about funding was eye-opening. It’s a prime example of how our data analysis and findings lead us to uncover root causes rather than making assumptions.
How do you also involve parents as part of the education program?
Before embarking on construction or rebuilding efforts, we initiate a crucial step: conducting a baseline survey. This involves interviewing various stakeholders, including teachers, school operators, and students, while also seeking input from the local community, including parents.
Similarly, when we decided to develop school management training as part of our three-year development program, we followed a similar process. Recognizing the importance of consulting with the local community, we ensured that their needs guided our initiatives, rather than imposing our own agenda.
Through this consultation process, we gleaned valuable insights. While the need for school management training was evident, we discovered that the community required more comprehensive support. Despite this, we chose to commence with the training, understanding that it served as a crucial starting point from which we could adapt and refine our approach iteratively.
We've been talking about the peripherals around the school ecosystem, but let's talk about the ones that are receiving the benefit, the kids. Tell us how the school benefits the kids? What changes do you see before and after the schools are rebuilt?
One year after our school rebuilding project, we typically observe a significant increase in both enrollment and attendance rates. These statistics underscore the profound impact that a more conducive and secure learning environment can have on children’s educational experiences.
Before the intervention by Happy Hearts Indonesia, students were often learning under trees or within cramped, poorly equipped spaces devoid of basic amenities like chairs and tables.
The transformation brought about by rebuilding these schools has been nothing short of remarkable, providing students with a dramatically improved learning environment that fosters a sense of safety and comfort conducive to effective learning.
With the assurance of attending a secure school, children can now focus wholeheartedly on their studies without the fear or uncertainty that plagued them in the past.
With access to proper learning environments, they’re actively participating in competitions and events to hone their skills. The numerous awards they’ve received in just the first year are a testament to their potential, as well as the dedication of their teachers.
While the building certainly played a role in this success, it’s important to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of both students and educators. After all, without the necessary tools and conducive learning environments, realizing their full potential would have been an uphill battle.
How do you measure the success of your school rebuilding projects?
I want to answer it using the MRS, the maintenance rating system, the four categories that I mentioned earlier. That’s basically our conceptual framework, the four points being:
- School infrastructure: we're talking about how the school is being well taken care of
- Teacher and student growth: do we see meaningful changes and the way the teachers are developing themselves - are they joining more workshops, are they incorporating more creative teaching methods so motivation-related findings? For students, how are they able to secure awards or able to score high on tests, or be able to achieve other new milestones.
- School management: how school treasures and school principals are effectively running the schools and how is our school management training helping them
- Community involvement : this one is particularly very important for us to see because at the end of day, the three years will end right so we want to make sure that they're in the hands of people who have a vision for the school to sustain for many generations to come.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure the long-term sustainability of these schools, impacting generations of children beyond the duration of our monitoring period. To achieve this, we recognize the importance of continuously refining our monitoring and evaluation systems, allowing us to adapt and evolve as needed.
We firmly believe that our four key aspects – enrollment and attendance rates, quality of learning environments, student and teacher growth, and community involvement – serve as crucial pillars for assessing the effectiveness of our interventions.
While we don’t advocate for frequent changes to our monitoring framework, we remain committed to maintaining an open-minded approach to refining it as necessary.
For example, earlier this year, my team and I made the decision to expand our monitoring and evaluation framework by adding the student and teacher growth indicator to the mix. This decision reflects our commitment to ensuring that our monitoring systems remain robust and relevant, even as circumstances evolve.
How do you collaborate with different stakeholders to rebuild these schools?
Our journey wouldn’t have reached such remarkable milestones without the invaluable collaboration of our donors. Primarily comprised of private institutions and corporations, our donors also include individuals, such as students from schools in Jakarta.
It’s truly inspiring to witness the dedication of these students, who actively participate in fundraising efforts for our school rebuilding projects. This isn’t just a one-time endeavor; it’s an annual tradition where seniors pass on the torch to their juniors, instilling a sense of philanthropy and community engagement within the student body.
In addition to collaborating with CSR programs and individual donors, we are actively working towards closer partnerships with local governments, recognizing the pivotal role they play in our mission.
As we look to expand our reach and impact, we understand the importance of leveraging the support and resources of both local and central government agencies. After all, our vision of effecting widespread change cannot be realized in isolation.
Support from the government can take various forms, ranging from logistical assistance to data acquisition. For instance, accessing relevant data can be challenging, and government assistance in gathering this information would be invaluable.
Moreover, climate change poses a significant challenge, especially for vulnerable regions like NTT and NTB. These areas are particularly susceptible to its effects, underscoring the urgent need for proactive measures and collaborative efforts to mitigate its impact.
How do solutions like eco bricks so that it's resilient to eventual extreme weather in NTT or NTB?
This is something that we’re actually partnering up with Block Solutions but I’m very happy to share what we’ve known.
They’ve done a comprehensive list of tests testing aspects like block resistance and sunlight exposure.
Also quickly touching on the point of resilience to disasters, this is something that is very essential for Happy Hearts because fundamentally we started as a nonprofit that wanted to rebuild schools affected by earthquakes, floods, and other disasters right.
For earthquakes, they’ve received an academic opinion from the engineering department of the University of California on the seismic behavior of buildings made of Block Solutions.
Using Block’s school materials as opposed to conventional materials has so many advantages. For instance, since it’s very lightweight – it’s very fast to reconstruct. It’s going to be faster for the students to also get back to school
But more importantly because of its ultra lightweight advantage – even if they have to fall due to unexpected large seismic forces or during extreme conditions, it will have minimal harm on the building occupants.
For floods, it’s worth noting that the way the block are firmly attached to the foundation makes them very difficult to be washed away by flood The next one is a strong wind, Angin Seroja – this is something that NTT has been battling with for so long and I believe for many years to come. This is where that ultra light-weight eco brick property again comes in, minimizing the odds of harmful injuries.
Since eco-bricks are made from recycled materials, I assume they contain some form of plastic. A common concern is the flammability of these materials. Can you address the flammability issue with the eco-bricks you are using?
This is a frequently asked question on the Block Solution social media website and this is something that we had to ask before wanting to partner with them.
The way they mitigate this is that they coat the block with UV paint and cladding to protect the school from sun exposure. It’s also very important to repaint this every 5 years – this is the way we can help mitigate that flammability issue.
I also want to jump into a very important point here, another FAQ that I think is important to share is “Are we importing this plastic waste just to make eco brick buildings and schools?”
No, this waste is 100% coming from Indonesia. Block Solutions partners up with ADUPI which is the Indonesian Plastic Recycling Association – they work with off-takers recycling partners and other civil society or communities to get the suitable type of plastic.
They don’t use just any type of plastic and this also answers your question about flammability because some plastics have a higher chance of being flammable.
What exciting plans do you have in store for the future. What’s next for Happy Hearts Indonesia?
So we will be celebrating our 10th birthday and we came up with this hashtag called “Reach Higher”. This can mean many things but for us, it means to serve and build more schools, reach more areas, integrate more sustainable practices when doing school rebuilding projects, developing more training that is well targeted for the 3 years development program.
We have numerous plans in the pipeline, one of which we’re excited to share publicly for the first time: the development of waste management training for schools.
Our objective extends beyond simply constructing eco-bricks; while that’s a commendable initiative, we believe the next agenda lies in educating school communities and their surroundings about climate change. It’s really important to teach people about how to manage waste properly and to show them why methods like burning trash can be harmful.
This is something that happens everywhere but especially in more underdeveloped areas in Indonesia including our school areas. This waste management training is still being developed but I’m very excited about this one particular program.
What kind of support do you typically need to help you achieve these goals?
I’ll start with the most common type of support we receive which is the bigger funds – so we’re talking about CSR, school fundraising projects. That’s going to be very impactful
If anyone out there who has a network or is capable of working with us to rebuild more schools or libraries it’ll be amazing. I also want to invite individuals who may not have the resources to rebuild a school by themselves but want to take part – you can advocate us by as simple as sharing about what we do to your networks.
You can also join our Changemaker program. This is an individual giving program where anyone can help with a regular or monthly donation. You can start at whichever rate you’re comfortable with. This helps keep our organization sustainable.
If people want to learn more about Happy Hearts and support the organization, where can they find you?
Learn more about Happy Hearts Indonesia by clicking their social links below
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