Raudha Preschool. Photo taken by Ruwaidah

This was a blessing and beautiful gift when we started The Power of Goodness in Bima, from July 2024 to June 2025. Practicing peace in my hometown is rooted by my nine years of learning and experience in Yogyakarta. There, I not only learned academic knowledge, but also the importance of diversity, dialogue, and respect for differences. When I went to Bima, I kept this spirit to contribute to the community where I grew up.

My first step was to reconnect with old friends (silaturrahim) – those who knew me since long ago as someone who loved to read stories by reflecting and playing. This is where the opportunity came: some of them who are now teachers and activists in schools and village communities invited me to story-reading sessions, tailored to the themes of their lessons. Through The Power of Goodness stories and the light and lively games, they were inspired about goodness, cooperation, and empathy.

I also serve as a civic education teacher for 14-16 years old students. I invite them to practice peace and to understand human and nature rights. In this way, they can more easily imagine how to respect racial differences, work together with people from different backgrounds, and rely on self-goodness in building a community. These stories become tools to open up dialogue in the classroom about peace, tolerance, and social responsibility, as well as small exercises to practice them in everyday life.

In the first year of this initiative, we chose to focus on building friendships in three main areas: neighborhoods, schools, and village communities. Through this network of friendships, various opportunities to share good practices are wide open. Participants’ interest and enthusiasm for the activity was very high. Children, teenagers, and adults are welcome to Read Aloud & Power of Goodness workshop sessions. Reading and playing create a space for interaction and listening to each other, which is very difficult to do now because of the digital world. Children and adults spend a lot of time playing online games instead of greeting and talking.

By the end of the first year, the Power of Goodness activity had been running in 3 groups at the Islamic Preschool (60 children), 4 classes at Secondary School (92 students), 2 classes at Senior High School (64 students), and in 2 village communities in urban areas (30 children and adults) and 1 village in rural areas (45 children). This coverage is proof that through a friendship approach, good practices can reach various levels of society, both in city centers and in remote areas.

In 2025 the second year, we built friendship and trust with two key figures who had lived in the circle of religious extremism experiences. The first was a mother, the wife of a former terrorist convict, and the second was a young leader who was formerly active as a campaigner for religious extremism movements through digital media. We were also welcomed to 5 literacy communities in Bima Regency Villages, who started a routine reading session in June.

The friendship was not built in an instant. It was born from simple encounters—greeting each other, sharing stories, listening without judgment (good listener), and opening a safe space for dialogue. From this process, a new awareness grew in their hearts: the desire that their children would not inherit the dark traces that they had experienced. They dreamed of a more peaceful future, where their children grew up as open individuals, able to live side by side with anyone, and away from the path of violence in the name of religion.

Agendas for the Groups and Places where we have practiced Power of Goodness

Neighbourhood (2 Villages)

The children come and read the story in front of our house. We called it “Mpa’a Tana’o” (Play and Learn). In our neighborhood, we build a culture of peace by gathering every Tuesday afternoon for 90 minutes. Our agenda:

  • Stop
  • Name and one thing you like today …
  • Agreement
  • Reading Stories
  • Discussing
  • Playing
  • Snacks
  • Free Learning: Writing, Spelling,
  • Drawing, Counting, Playing Lego
  • Closing

Islamic Pre School (3 Schools)

On the first Monday of a month, we visit the PreSchool to read the story from 08.30-10.00. The Agenda :

  • Free Time : Traditional Play
  • Opening Prayer
  • Singing : I love my friend… and say our friend’s name.
  • Stopping
  • Agreement
  • Reading Stories
  • Quiz
  • Journal with Crayon
  • Remembering with the drawing
  • Closing

Practicing Stopping in Girl Class Al Husainy Secondary School – September 2024. Photo taken by Amira

Students Club (6 Classes in a Al Husainy Boarding School)

In school, we held the Power of Goodness sessions as a reflection of the Civic Lesson that we learn in Week 4 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). In Junior and Senior we have similar themes: Diversities (Pancasila), Cooperation (Gotong Royong), and Human Rights (Hak Asasi Manusia). We used these stories : New Girl at School, Mosque, Allah is Merciful, Perhaps Allah needs me, and also to learn about integrity we use Anna and The Speckled Hen.

School Agenda

Week 1 : Introduction to Lesson
Week 2 : Reading and Writing

  • Stopping
  • Gathering: Name and one thing …
  • Agreement
  • Reading Stories
  • Discussing
  • Playing
  • Journaling and Reflections
  • Closing

Week 3 : Test
Week 4 : Reflection
Week 5 : Project Presentation

Five Villages in Bima Regency

There are Five Villages in Bima Regency which have a Literacy Community: Parado Rato; Roi; Ncera; Samili; and Rato-Bolo Village. They are very enthusiastic about welcoming the Power of Goodness activities. However, only Roi Village has a routine commitment. We hold events every 10th, 20th and 30th of each month.

The Agenda:

  • Welcoming Singing
  • Traditional Play
  • Stopping
  • Gathering: Name and one thing …
  • Agreement
  • Reading Stories
  • Discussing
  • Art
  • Closing

Highlights from Participants

Anna’s story reminds me of my first experience helping my junior when she was sick. I fed her and bought her medicine. Living away from our parents in the dormitory encourages us to practice empathy even in very difficult situations. – Isma, 14 years old.

I can feel that I am surrounded by lovely people. People are actually fun, they motivated me to trust in my dream. – Fatin, 14 years old

Diversities create understanding, and knowing diversities is very much fun. We can learn new things and find something positive from other people. I can say, living together is a key for community happiness. – Anggi, 14 years old.

My power of goodness is …

“I create humor, honesty, and skill to assist the ball when in match.” – Bilal, 14 years old
“At lunch time, I always wait patiently in line.” – Ipong, 14 years old
“I love to invite friends to eat together. I am a good listener. I love hearing about my friend’s journey.” – Rizky, 14 years old

Challenges and Directions

The presence of the Power of Goodness Program in the Al Husainy Islamic boarding school provides an opportunity to create a different space for reading habits. Children are interested in re-reading the same story, for example, New Girl at School. We are also open to social interaction. I can feel tensions sometimes arise because of cultural differences between children from the rural area and those from urban areas, but this is not as bad as school gangs out there. This might be because of the values ​​of strengthening brotherhood and loving each other held in this Islamic boarding school..

During these 10 months, silaturrahim, building friendships, and practicing peace with stories of The Power of Goodness have provided many new experiences and acquaintances. I am able to see the strong commitment and desire supported by the togetherness of people who want to live in peace.

On the other hand, I have experienced several challenges. I have not been able to create a strong team, because my friend, Hida, experienced a fire and still needs more time to recover. But now, I have people in five villages in the district, 2 villages in the city, and 3 preschools and 6 senior and secondary classes to practice. This is an extraordinary gift. I am grateful for the help and support from friends around the world. Nadine and her friends’ knowledge is a blessing in another world.

Personally, I am also still lacking discipline in organizing daily activity reports. I hope the Indonesian team continues to practice being a Good Companion, so that no one feels like they are walking alone.

Let us celebrate this friendship and continue to learn peace and people continue to be a light for themselves and others.

Al Husainy Secondary School Boys Class, playing with big wind blows. Fitra Malik led the play.