The Children’s Festival! (Tentena, Week 7)

In honor of Indonesian Children’s Day, Lian and her Institute Mosintuwu network set out to put on a pretty impressive two-and-a-half-day long Children’s Festival here in Tentena this week.  Pulling in children from all 17 of the villages that Project Sophia has ever visited, 250 kids descended upon this little place this week to sleep in a mass dormitory, make books with Lexi, make kites with Jaime, learn about recycling with Lita, perform their traditional songs and dances, and peacefully interact in an interfaith setting.  

Welcoming ceremony

I made a conscious decision to keep my role in the Festival minimal.  I wanted to focus on my other work in my winding-down time here, so I can’t take credit for any of the successes of the event.  But I was there to participate and help out when needed, and there were some really wonderful moments.  Especially at the good-bye ceremony when we all got to do this Indonesian-version of the Horah together.  It was fun.  Though I seriously remain baffled as to why—in the midst of this space where previoulsy-engrossed-in-essential-civil-war sects of society had peacefully come together to share traditions—the thing people couldn’t get over were the white girls from America.  (See this news article where the only picture included is this really awful shot that doesn’t focus on the kids at all, but instead includes all three of us…wtf.)

Also really fun was the AMAZING dance party we had the last night post-clean up, after nearly everyone had gone home.  If I had done nothing this summer but rocked out for one night to Jessie J, Justin Beiber, and Lady Gaga on the open Children’s Festival stage with the ladies of Tentena…Dayeinu, it would’ve been enough.  

 More pictures:

Sophia in the Project Sophia Tent

Recycling Tent:
Pretty sure it was a first for a lot of these kids

Tentae Lexix:  Book making hero. 

We love book making!!

Talking Books!
(Where are you from? Says one face to the other...)

"I look like I've been doing Crack for two days." ~ Jaime

"Seriously.  What is wrong with my head?!" ~ Still Jaime

Raka & Lita man climate change.
Thanks, guys. 

No clue how Masna and the other Muslim participants were
able to Ramadan it up in the heat/with others eating around them. 

Kids Celebrating their Dance Competition Win