by Mathias Hariyadi

The KBKK movement is sending five Mentawai students to university to train as teachers before coming back to their native region. Today, many children are forced to leave the islands, which have a strong Christian presence, to go to predominantly Muslim areas.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Children on a small Indonesian island hit by a powerful earthquake in October 2010 followed by a tsunami will soon be able to remain in their native communities to continue their education thanks to the work of lay Catholics, local priests and Padang diocese.  Kelompok Bakti Kasih Kemanusiaan (KBKK), a Catholic lay humanitarian organisation active in the country, is sending five local students to university to train as teachers before coming back to teach local children and youth.

Mentawai is a small island off the big island of Sumatra. The nearest port is Sikakap, which can be reached after a long trip against strong winds in open sea.

The area falls under the jurisdiction of Padang diocese, led by Bishop Martinus Situmorang, and is home to hundreds of Catholics as well as members of other Christian denominations.

There is only one parish church in Sikakap, the local sub-district capital and main town.

In 2010, a powerful quake followed by a tsunami hit the area, killing 286 people with 252 people missing and 200 injured.

Having lost their parents, many children have had to leave the area, moving to Padang and other cities in North Sumatra Province, areas that are predominantly Muslim where they are in danger of losing their ties to their native land, and perhaps losing their Christian faith in favour of Islam.

In order to help in the children's education, KBKK vetted various proposals and solutions, including the possibility of sponsoring the training of five students who would come back to their native villages as teachers.

Funds were raised for this purpose and five young Catholics from the islands were chosen to attend Sanata Dharma University, a college run by Jesuit Fathres in Yogyakarta, central Java.

Tomorrow, KBKK leaders and the university are set to sign a memorandum of understanding that will enable the five students to train as teachers. Two of them are from Sikabaulan, whilst the other three are from Sikakap.

• indonesia
• mentawai
• education
• lay
• catholics
• university