Yo Si Puedo: A Cuban Literacy Program to Strengthen Literacy Level in West Papua, Indonesia

Abstract

Illiteracy remains a serious problem in West Papua, Indonesia. The data from Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) show nearly 30 percent of Indigenous Papuans aged between 15 to 45 are illiterate (BPS, 2016). The number is far higher than the national average which is only 3.5 percent (BPS, 2016). In response to the problem, the article aims to provide a brief picture of causes and effects behind the high illiteracy rate in West Papua and to recommend a relevant solution for the problem. The methodology undertaken in this article is a literature review. Relevant literatures are obtained through peer-reviewed articles from reliable journals and any other relevant sources. The results reveal three main factors that contribute to the low literacy level in West Papua; geographical challenges, low human resources and diverse vernacular languages. Due to the high illiterate percentage, Papuan community has been experiencing serious health issue, poverty, poor educational access and low social cohesion. The article also proposes a so-called Yo Si Puedo (YSP) as an alternative non-formal literacy program to strengthen basic literacy in West Papua. It is because YSP can be highly adaptable to the Papuan context in terms of language, culture and social reality.

Poverty and Students’ Academic Achievement in Papua, Indonesia

“…They added that people are categorised as poor if they are not able to get access to what is commonly considered to be a reasonable standard and quality of life. Meanwhile, Yawan (2022) argues that people are categorised living in poverty when they could not participate in the activities and do not have good living conditions, unable to obtain the resources in the communities to which they belong. He added that people are in poverty when these resources are so dangerously below those administered by the average individual or family that they are affected and excluded from usual living conditions, customs and activities.…”

“…There is a correlation of parents' level of education to their children academic achievements. Parents with high education levels can assist their children in school work activities and can ensure children's enthusiasm in their studies (Yawan, 2022).…”

“…Children need healthier learning and exploration to shape their emotional and brain development in order to work optimally. Unfortunately, poor families are likely to be a greater predominance of such unfavorable conditions as teen motherhood, depression and inadequate health care which results the decrease of sensitivity toward the children and later poor school achievement on the child's part (Yawan, 2022, McKenzie, 2019. This means that children who raised in poverty are more likely to experience depressive symptom which lasting on their academic competence in the school.…”

“…Children learn vocabulary at their home, but vocabulary learned by students coming from high-income families are much more than students from low-income families. Then, the way students learn and comprehend are different from other students as their families may not assist them at home or they only have a single parent (Yawan, 2022). When parents do not have sufficient money, they have to work all the day for the children, which there will be no time for the parents to give their children assistance in doing their homework.…”