Menur Semi Kindergarten before physical development intervention, when it’s raining water pours through the roof, when it’s windy some of the roof cover flies. The school was closed when it’s raining and windy, while the children were sent home. The teachers and parents worried it may harm the children. Before the development, the toilet was located at the back of the building, it’s dark and smelly. The children were afraid to go to the toilet alone. Children play ground is not existed. Fortunately it’s no longer happened. The story changed when ars86care foundation came over and doing physical development intervention.

Located at Mranggen district, Demak regency, about an hour drive from Semarang city in Central Java, Menur Semi Kindergarten is one of ars86care foundation target in 2013, under “Space to Build” program. The whole program takes 20 months covers assessment, design and build, and monitoring evaluation. Having Child Friendly School concept in mind, ars86care vision is to include children as one of the stakeholders in each phases of the program. Child participation is encouraged during assessment where the children were asked to draw the school as they imagine. At the end of design and build phase, there’s volunteering event that include children to decorate a wall with their hand paint. While during the construction phase, children (0-18 years old) are not allowed to work as labor work. Children are also included in monitoring and evaluation process beside the educators and the community as part of focus group discussions.

Natural resources are in optimum usage by design such as cross ventilation to create comfort space, enough transparent windows to maximum use of sun light, more than 50% of outdoor space is covered by grass to expand water absorption on the land surface. In short, green building principles are applied to school design and construction. The school contains playground space, two classes, one principal and teacher’s office, and supporting area including two toilets, hand wash area, and small pantry. Separate trash bins (organic and anorganic) are provided to teach children how to classify trash before throwing them to the right bin. Some corners at playground space are used to plant vegetable and medicinal plant, where children are taught to water the plant and take good care of them. 

After the physical intervention, Menur Semi Kindergarten provides safer and more comfortable place to learn and play. Build on village own land, after the school’s handover, the kindergarten’s children is more than doubled since the new school year starts, after the school’s handover. Community involvements such as mother’s group and youth activities are encouraged to prolong the building usage. In the long run, physical intervention is provided to educate users including children, educator, and communities on how we should take good care of our place and our environment, so that it can reach sustainability.