A Beacon of Light in Education and Faith
Jane Austen’s arguably most famous book is Pride and Prejudice. It is a novel about failing to understand other people’s views, feelings and behaviour. Originally, it was supposed to be called First Impressions. Well, my first impression of PENABUR was of a beacon of light. It was immediately welcoming to strangers. It was, and still is, a very positive experience.
The history of the organization is one of inclusiveness, based on the principles of charity and personal growth. Many people are unaware of how PENABUR recycles its surpluses and invests them in charitable and educational schemes throughout its extensive networks of schools, churches and other not-for-profit endeavours. When you watch a movie about a tsunami destroying a huge swathe of land, it is PENABUR that will come in and help to rebuild through the process of kaum: rebuilding homes to rebuild lives..
My first impression of PENABUR was of a beacon of light. It was immediately welcoming to strangers. It was, and still is, a very positive experience.
PENABUR is the largest education institution in Indonesia. Including its many affiliate organisations, the institution runs over one hundred schools throughout the archipelago. These are not just bricks and mortar but represent seventy-five years of personal and spiritual growth. These schools have produced numerous doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers and business people to the benefit of the whole of the country and the world. Some of the greatest mathematicians and scientists have been nurtured, both intellectually and spiritually, in the bosom of PENABUR schools and affiliated churches..
What does all of this mean to us, the teachers and students of PENABUR ? It means that we are part of a greater purpose: to promote the word of Jesus on earth. It means that we see our role as making Indonesia an even greater country, a place of growth and learning. Our work is making this, our home, an even better place to live, work, study and prosper.
Author: Mr. John,
Teacher,
PENABUR Intercultural Primary School