Young Indonesians volunteer to educate refugee kids
While refugee education in Indonesia is often discussed in terms of gaps and statistics, reality is easier to understand inside a classroom
JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) – While refugee education in Indonesia is often discussed in terms of policy gaps and statistics, the reality is easier to understand inside a classroom.
At Roshan Learning Center in South Jakarta, teenagers argued over homework, laughed at bad jokes and dreamt about the future, reports The Jakarta Post.
Inside the classroom, their teacher — a young refugee himself — was setting up a presentation. The students teased him about the module. He teased them back. When he finally promised it would be an easy lesson, the room erupted in cheers.
It felt like any other school: the noise, the teasing, the collective groan at the mention of homework. And when the visitor slipped out of the room, the students turned and shouted “Thank you!” in unison, their bright smiles enough to soften even the grumpiest adult.
But Roshan Learning Center, run by Yayasan Internasional Cahaya Fajar (YICF), isn’t just any other school. It offers alternative education for children locked out of Indonesia’s public school system.
Here, children in stateless limbo are given a chance at a future through education. They learn in English using curricula from the United States, with a pathway to an internationally recognized diploma, even if Indonesia itself cannot issue one.
“Most of them want to be business owners and doctors because that’s what they know,” said Daisy Wardani, Roshan’s executive director. “We host career days to expose them to different jobs.”
Many alumni return as volunteer teachers, like an Afghan graduate who now teaches math — refugees teaching refugees, young people building a community from within.
A place to land
Indonesia currently shelters nearly 11,972 refugees and asylum seekers, according to UNHCR’s July 2025 report. Yet in Jakarta, it is easy to go a day — or a lifetime — without realizing they are there. Local NGOs often describe the issue as “niche.”
Only 735 out of roughly 3,000 school-aged refugee children were enrolled in accredited national schools as of August 2025, according to a UNHCR fact sheet. Documentation barriers, limited classroom space and language challenges keep most out.
Indonesia may be a transit country rather than a final destination, but resettlement can take 10 to 15 years. With 29% of refugees under 17, many reach adulthood before arriving in a new home.
A decade in Indonesia can pass without a diploma, credentials or a formal place to learn.
Roshan Learning was created to fill that gap. “We aim to provide a safe learning environment, because even though some have enrolled in public schools, many of them aren’t inclusive enough, and refugees can’t adapt to that,” Daisy said. “If they aren’t educated sufficiently, there would be a disparity within their future generation.”
Because many students are expected to resettle in the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, Roshan offers Elite Open School (EOS) and General Educational Development (GED) programs for seventh to 12th graders, preparing them for academic standards in the countries they may eventually call home.
A space for adulting
But what happens when children grow up while resettlement still hasn’t come? That is where Bridges for Hope steps in, initially as a passion project. Founder Marwah Aryantha started the initiative after seeing a refugee friend struggle to find structured learning opportunities as an adult.
“The first class’ registrants were more than expected; we were only targeting five. It ended up with around 20 people,” she said. “Long story short, we secured a grant and implemented the first batch of the refugee digital skills course.”
What began as a modest initiative has grown into a nonprofit organization with a team of 25, offering digital literacy courses for refugees aged 18 to 25.
The curriculum is tailored. Marwah’s team conducts baseline surveys to assess skill levels, interests and learning constraints. Weekend classes run for three to four months and conclude with a modest graduation ceremony.
Next, Bridges for Hope plans to expand into entrepreneurship, arts and language — practical skills refugees can carry wherever and whenever they eventually resettle.
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