In the words of Lilis Sunarni: Every child deserves the same opportunity to education

Interviewed by Inggita Notosusanto

Lilis Sunarni, 40, a mother of two from Duren Seribu village, Depok, West Java, is well-known in her community as the founder of a PAUD (preschool) that charges parents a minimal fee. She also leads a working group (“pokja”) as part of the Desa Damai (Peace Village) program, an initiative by the Wahid Foundation supported by UN Women and the Government of the Netherlands. When a deadly fight broke out between youths from her village and a neighboring one, Lilis collaborated with local authorities to find a constructive solution. 

I started out as a preschool teacher with only a primary school diploma. Folks in my village could not afford the high cost of education for their children, so I started a preschool that only charges rp2000 (USD 0.15) for each visit. After joining the Desa Damai (Peace Village) program and its training sessions, I got an “aha!” moment, and thought, “Why not pursue further education myself?” So, I completed the Package B program (equivalent to junior high school) and the Package C program (equivalent to senior high school). Two days ago, I graduated from UMBARA (University of Muhammadiyah Bogor Raya) with a degree in early childhood education. Finally, I have the necessary college degree to teach my preschool students!  

When working groups were formed in the Desa Damai program, my friends nominated me, saying, “Let’s have Bu Lilis take the lead.” The program has built a network of working groups overseeing areas of health, youth, and children (child forum). In the area of women economic empowerment, Wahid Foundation facilitated the creation of the local women cooperative, Koperasi Cinta Damai, enabling women to access loans that they could not otherwise obtain from traditional banks.  

Thank God everyone works together to ensure we can help provide solutions for problems in our village, such as domestic violence. Previously, people were indifferent or afraid to get involved, worried that they might end up in trouble themselves. But now, they are more confident to step in and mediate. This transformation happened because they have learned about their rights and relevant laws. Knowledge empowered them to speak up. 

My wish is to continue growing the preschool because I believe every child deserves equal access to education and I want to help those in need because I know what it’s like to be in their place.