The Tengger Indigenous community in the Bromo region is widely known for its commitment to preserving tradition, social harmony, and environmental sustainability. Amid the pressures of modernization, one of the region’s greatest challenges extends beyond protecting the physical environment to safeguarding children. This requires a holistic approach that protects, educates, and nurtures the next generation of Tengger children so they remain rooted in their cultural identity while developing the skills and confidence to navigate a changing world.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) program in the Bromo region, ALIT Indonesia provides community-based support that integrates character education, healthy living practices, cultural awareness, and environmental stewardship from an early age.
1. ALIT’s Support Pillars for Tengger Children
From April to August 2026, ALIT Indonesia implemented a series of structured interventions designed to support children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development according to their respective developmental stages.
A. Nutrition, Healthy Living, and Character Education
Children’s understanding of nutrition and character development is strengthened through storytelling and interactive learning activities:
- Healthy and Nutritious Food Education: Through storytelling, children were introduced to the basic concepts of healthy food. They practiced distinguishing nutritious food choices through a simple check-mark activity, with all six participating children successfully identifying healthy and unhealthy foods.
- Learning About Nutrients Through Drawing: Children learned about different nutritional categories, including carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins, through drawing and food-grouping activities. Four children were able to categorize the foods correctly, while the others continued to receive gradual support.
- Financial and Character Literacy: Through educational stories such as Koin Ajaib Milik Beni (Beni’s Magical Coin), children were introduced to the importance of saving, basic money management, and critical thinking through two-way discussions.
B. Environmental Education and Food Resilience: The BERISIK Program
Through BERISIK (Berkebun itu Asik, or “Gardening Is Fun”), children learn directly from nature through experiential learning:
- Biodiversity and History Education: First- and second-grade elementary school students explored the Tetirah Gayatri area to learn about local plants, ranging from roses and gerberas to leeks and rice, while also being introduced to historical values from the Majapahit Kingdom.
- Sustainable Farming Practices: Children developed basic gardening skills, from sowing seeds such as pagoda flowers, eggplant, mustard greens, and pakcoy, to preparing planting media with fertilizer and caring for plants independently.
- Seed Distribution and Home Gardens: The program was extended to participating families through seed distribution during Home Visits, encouraging parents and children to work together in maintaining their own household vegetable gardens.
C. Motor Skills, Artistic Expression, and Traditional Games
Children’s physical, motor, and cultural development is supported through enjoyable, safe, and outdoor-based activities:
- Growth and Development Exercises & POA: Physical stimulation began with growth and development exercises designed to improve movement coordination among eight children. The activities continued with Physical Outdoor Activity (POA), using educational sports equipment such as turbo equipment, jumping boards, small hurdles, and kids hammers, alongside imaginative thematic activities such as the “Animal Olympics.”
- Art Exercise and Creative Activities: Children created crafts and play equipment using environmentally friendly natural materials, including coconut shells. The activity helped develop fine motor skills, creativity, and the ability to make use of materials available in their surroundings.
- Preserving Traditional Games: Children worked together to weave rubber bands into ropes for traditional jump-rope games. The activity encouraged gotong royong (mutual cooperation), creativity, and sportsmanship while providing an alternative to screen-based entertainment.
D. Social Development, Nutrition, and Family Support Through Home Visits & Family Gatherings
Supporting children’s development goes beyond classrooms and activity spaces:
- Building Confidence: During the Family Gathering held as part of ALIT Indonesia’s 28th anniversary celebration, children were encouraged to perform in front of others and interact within a larger group. The experience helped strengthen their confidence and social interaction skills.
- Ongoing Support Through Home Visits: The ECD team from ALIT Surabaya–Bromo regularly visits participating families to monitor the growth of distributed vegetable seedlings, learn about children’s daily activities, and provide parents with guidance on encouraging children to eat vegetables, particularly those who are not yet accustomed to including vegetables in their diets.
E. Strategic Partnerships and Institutional Capacity Building
To ensure the sustainability of its programs, ALIT continues to build cross-sector partnerships, including:
- Formal School Partnerships: In June 2026, ALIT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SDN Palangsari I, establishing a formal foundation for collaboration on environmental education programs at the school.
- Child Protection Standards: The National Coordination Meeting (Rapat Kerja Nasional or RaKerNas) in July 2026 strengthened the capacity of field facilitators in Child Protection Policy (CPP), program planning through Logframe, financial management, and inclusive, child-friendly family support approaches.
2. The Meaning of “Supporting and Protecting” Tengger Children Through ALIT’s Approach
ALIT Indonesia’s approach to protecting Tengger children goes beyond shielding them from physical harm. It represents a comprehensive effort to support the continuity and well-being of future generations within the Tengger Indigenous community:
- Strengthening Children’s Connection to Their Homeland: By introducing farming practices and environmental stewardship from an early age, Tengger children are encouraged to appreciate and care for the ancestral lands where their community has grown and lived.
- Preserving Cultural Values and Traditions: Introducing children to local history, the use of natural materials such as coconut shells, and traditional games helps sustain their communal cultural identity amid the growing influence of outside cultures.
- Building Resilience: Through a combination of physical activities, nutrition education, financial literacy, and social interaction, children develop practical life skills, courage, discipline, and self-confidence.
- Supporting the Child Within Their Wider Ecosystem: ALIT places children within a broader support system involving schools, families, and communities. Working with parents through Home Visits helps ensure that lessons and values introduced through the program can be practiced consistently at home.
ALIT Indonesia’s work in the Bromo region demonstrates that one of the most meaningful investments in the future of an Indigenous community is an investment in its children. Through a human-centered, educational, and integrated approach, ALIT supports not only the growth and development of Tengger children but also their journey toward becoming healthy, confident, and capable individuals who value their cultural identity and remain committed to caring for the natural environment that sustains their community.
