PESAWARAN – Amid limited access and facilities, the spirit of educating the nation's children continues to burn bright at the peak of Mount Bundar, Pesawaran Regency, Lampung. Uswatun Hasanah, a teacher at Pujoraharjo Private Elementary School (SDS), has dedicated her life to educating the ten students who remain at the remote school.
Since 2004, Uswatun has been familiar with various geographical obstacles and the lack of infrastructure. The school where she serves has not been reached by the PLN electricity grid or internet signals. Daily learning still relies on conventional blackboards and printed textbooks. In fact, when heavy rain accompanied by lightning hits the mountain peak area, learning activities are forced to stop for the safety of the students.
Despite carrying a huge responsibility, the income Uswatun receives is far from decent. Every month, she receives an honorarium of only IDR 300,000. However, that amount does not diminish her intention to continue teaching. For this middle-aged woman, the greatest happiness is seeing the gleam of enthusiasm on her students' faces when they understand a lesson.
Uswatun's long struggle over more than two decades is beginning to show proud results. Quite a few alumni from this modest school have successfully pursued higher education to earn bachelor's degrees, and some have even followed in her footsteps to become educators.
Enthusiasm for learning is also reflected in the students, including Risma, a sixth-grade pupil. She admitted that she still enjoys learning at her school even though the classroom roof often leaks when it rains. For her and the other students, the presence of a patient teacher is the main motivation to keep coming to school.
For Uswatun, teaching at SDS Pujoraharjo is not merely a profession to earn a living, but a calling of the heart. As long as there are children on the mountain peak who want to learn, she remains committed to standing in front of the classroom, ensuring that the lantern of hope for the local young generation never goes out.
