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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Students Brave Dangerous Raft Commute to School in West Bandung

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Students in West Bandung, Indonesia, use a makeshift bamboo raft to cross the Saguling Reservoir to reach SDN Budiharja school.
  • The raft journey is significantly faster than the longer land route, allowing students to arrive at school on time.
  • Parents express gratitude for the raft, which provides a crucial, albeit risky, mode of transportation for their children's education.

In West Bandung, Indonesia, students at SDN Budiharja face a perilous daily commute, risking their lives by crossing the Saguling Reservoir on a bamboo raft to attend school. The dry season has lowered the water levels, making the journey even more precarious for the young pupils.

After school, students navigate a dirt path to the reservoir's edge, where a weathered bamboo raft awaits. A middle-aged man voluntarily operates the raft, using a rope stretched across the water to ferry the children between Kampung Sadang and Kampung Gombong. The students, often sitting under the hot sun, are pulled across the water to reach their homes.

If I start riding the raft, I've been doing it since the fourth grade, almost every day because it's just faster from home to school.

— Imam PermanaA 12-year-old student, explaining his daily commute across the Saguling Reservoir.

Imam Permana, a 12-year-old student, shared that he has been using the raft since the fourth grade, finding it a quicker way to get to school. The students depart their homes around 6:00 AM to reach the reservoir by 6:30 AM, when they need to be at school. The raft covers a distance of approximately 248 meters, a stark contrast to the 2.28-kilometer detour required by land.

I'm not afraid because I'm used to it.

— Imam PermanaDescribing his comfort level with the raft journey to school.

Despite the inherent risks, the students often treat the journey with a mix of laughter and camaraderie. "I'm not afraid because I'm used to it," Imam stated, recalling his earlier experiences using the longer land route. Santi Nur Setiani, a parent, expressed her relief that the traditional bamboo raft facilitates her child's daily school commute, especially given the lack of motorcycle access on the longer path.

The raft serves as a vital, albeit traditional, mode of transport, ensuring that these students can access education despite the challenging geography. It highlights the lengths to which communities will go to prioritize learning, even when faced with significant daily risks.

Usually, I leave home after 6 AM. The land route is far, and there's no motorcycle access. So, this way is faster.

— Santi Nur SetianiA parent, expressing gratitude for the raft service for her child's school commute.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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