About Sanggar Widya

Sanggar Widya was founded in Bogor on August 24, 9 years ago. Initially, it was a study club, a place of reciting the Koran and creating art. It has developed to have a free school, Widya Insani School (WIS).

Currently, WIS takes care of the education of more than 100 poor orphans, whether they are accommodated in their Rumah Tahfidz, or those who still live with their widowed mothers, or their grandmothers and uncles/ aunties.

The current Sanggar Widya program is the Tahfidz Qur’an House which accommodates orphans and underprivileged children where they learn the Koran and receive free education. If possible, these children can be educated up to college or university level.

The free school WIS (Widya Insani School) has now become a Vocational High School (SMK) specializing in Marketing. Orphans who graduate from WIS who hope to become Hafidz Quran, have the opportunity to enter the Undergraduate Scholarship Program in the field of Hafidz Quran.

The impact of the pandemic that has lasted for more than 2 years is extraordinary. WIS has lost donors, partly because of Covid-19 deaths. Even the children’s sewing business came to a halt as materials and production costs suddenly became expensive and the lack of customers.

The only business that can be done at this time is to write and sell books. But during this pandemic, book sales are not as good as they used to be. Today, people’s focus is medicine and food. Nonetheless, book sales are reliable source of operational funds. Occasionally there is still some assistance from benefactors.

Currently, the children have started a business producing of cassava chips and coffee. They deliver to shops or sell online. Some children go around offering their products in the streets, door-to-door, or at the Pekansari Sports Stadium. The income from the Entrepreneurship and Marketing classes is able to reduce the burden of operational costs.

Thank God, there is always a way to meet the children’s food and school needs. There is always an idea that arises in the middle of a deadlock. But apart from that, there are many sad stories as well. For the past 9 years, Ibu Widya has worked hard to create free education for children. But local community support is still minimal. There are still many parties who are suspicious, even hindering the good intentions of WIS.