Summer 2025 reached its peak with the start of the new school year. We opened our doors not only to our existing students but also to 18 newcomers, whom we were delighted to welcome into our community. Hailing from many different villages and islands across the Raja Ampat archipelago, they bring a vibrant diversity of backgrounds to our school. This brings our total student body to 60—30 girls and 30 boys—with the number of boarding students also rising to 40.
During a one-week orientation phase, our older students helped the newcomers settle into school and boarding life through fun, interactive activities. This quickly fostered a sense of belonging, laying the foundation for another successful school year.
At last, just in time for the new school year, the Blue Ocean School welcomed its first students into the new building. After just over a year of construction, we now have modern, functional, and inspiring facilities that set a new standard for the region, especially as an educational institution.
The new classrooms and common areas are already being put to intensive use—not just for lessons, but also for group work, creative projects, and as meeting places for students and teachers. Thanks to the new solar power system, we now have a reliable 24-hour electricity supply.
The completion of the new building is a milestone not only for Child Aid Papua but for the entire Raja Ampat region. The Blue Ocean School stands as a symbol that education, community, and future prospects can become a reality even in remote areas.
While school is in session, the next phases of development are already underway: the schoolyard and modern sanitary facilities with their own water treatment system are among the upcoming projects. Since the village has no fresh water, we are investing in an innovative filtration system that converts slightly brackish water into drinking water, ensuring a sustainable supply for the school.
On the second floor, we are adding two more classrooms alongside the sanitary facilities. This will give us a total of six new teaching spaces in the future—a major step forward for the growing Child Aid Papua School.
Our senior classes continue to gain valuable practical experience. The 12th grade is currently finishing their internships, with students returning from a nine-month placement in Bali to begin intensive preparations for their national exams this spring. The 11th grade is gaining their first professional experience in various fields—from dive centers like Tarzan Diving, where students train from Open Water Diver to Divemaster, to hotels in Sorong. Their dedication is not going unnoticed: more and more companies are interested in training our young talent, including a solar start-up in Jakarta that has now welcomed our students for internships.
In this way, our students bridge the gap between theory and practice, discover their strengths, and broaden their horizons—a vital building block for a successful start to their professional lives.
We remember Melando, one of the first two graduates of Child Aid Papua. After his studies in Jakarta, he has now received a scholarship for further studies in Hong Kong. At the same time, he is gaining his first international professional experience in the hotel industry there. He is likely the first young person from Raja Ampat to combine studies and work abroad—a powerful example of the sustainability and effectiveness of the Child Aid Papua school concept and an inspiring role model for our entire student body.
We also remember Thomas and Claudia Müller – pediatricians from Switzerland who have supported us in the past with valuable medical supplies and expertise. With the new school building, we were finally able to open our modern school clinic – and were once again able to count on the generous help of Claudia and Thomas. It goes to show, once again, how invaluable the Swiss network is for Child Aid Papua.
Furthermore, we are increasingly collaborating with local authorities: Together with the new ASTA clinic in Sorong, we can now offer our students reliable basic medical care for the first time – a major step forward, as many of them previously had little to no access to health services. We are doing important pioneering work, particularly in the field of dentistry.
For the first time, the Child Aid Papua volleyball team was able to participate in a tournament where schools from across the entire province of Southwest Papua competed against each other. Although our team was among the youngest and smallest, the students played with impressive dedication and team spirit all the way to the semi-finals – achieving an outstanding fourth place out of 16 teams.
The officials from the Indonesian Volleyball Association were enthusiastic about our team's style of play and discipline. Particularly exciting: four of our players were invited to the national selection to represent the province of West Papua at a major tournament in Jakarta.
This success impressively demonstrates the importance of sports development at Child Aid Papua: sports instill discipline, team spirit, and self-confidence – qualities that shape our students both on and off the field. At the same time, it underscores why the planned construction of our auditorium and multi-purpose hall remains a central goal: it will provide space for sports, culture, and community in the future.
For the third time in a row, we were invited by the Raja Ampat Tourism Department to carry out the Oceania project. In this program, 40 local guides received further training in English and sustainable tourism – supported by our own students, who were already able to pass on their knowledge independently.
There was also a special reason for our leadership team to celebrate this quarter: Jonas Müller was awarded the 2025 Study Prize in the "Society & Engagement" category. The jury recognized not only his academic performance in his distance learning degree in Social Work and Social Pedagogy (B.A.), but above all his unique practical application: Jonas completed his studies under challenging conditions in Raja Ampat – with unstable power supplies and often long boat trips. Despite these circumstances, he graduated with top marks. In her laudatory speech, Florence Hausemann (AKAD University) emphasized that Jonas facilitates education where "it is needed most."
This is not just an impressive story from a Swiss perspective. With his commitment to this education, Jonas sets the best possible example for our trainees – and thus remains not only the director of our school but also a true role model.
You can find more information on the official award winner page: 2025 Award Winner "Society & Engagement" – Study Prize
Once again, we end a quarter full of gratitude and appreciation, having reached important milestones!
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