Lack of access to adequate learning is a major challenge for children at the Sentul Learning Center in Kuala Lumpur. Many of them do not attend formal schools due to citizenship issues, despite still being Indonesian. This situation differentiates their learning interests from those of children in general. Therefore, support and learning innovations are needed to ignite their enthusiasm for learning and strengthen their identity as Indonesian citizens.
As a tangible contribution, the AksaraMatika team held a community service program titled “AksaraMatika Goes to Sekolah Indonesia Kuala Lumpur”* at the Sentul Learning Center. This activity aimed to provide an inspiring mathematics learning experience through an ethnomathematics approach, allowing students to learn in a fun way while also exploring Indonesian culture.
The event was represented by Annisa Uswatun Khasanah as chair and Ikkhil Gina Nabila as secretary of AksaraMatika, accompanied by supervising lecturer Mr. Adi Satrio Ardiansyah, S.Pd., M.Pd. The event also received support from the UNNES International Lantip team.
The event was warmly welcomed by students, teachers, and invited guests, including the Vice Dean I, Vice Dean II, and several UNNES lecturers and staff. The event began with the presentation of ethnomathematics game media to the Learning Center.
The learning media used included Bola Bekel (Bekel Ball) worksheets for learning whole number operations, simple memory board games for learning how to write numbers, Pandawa Lima-themed plane puzzles, and a modified Snakes and Ladders game that teaches addition and subtraction while introducing traditional Indonesian clothing. Through these games, students are encouraged to learn mathematics in an interactive, collaborative, and fun way.
Throughout the activity, the children demonstrated high enthusiasm and eagerly participated in each game. This demonstrates that all Indonesian children have the right to a proper education, and that effective learning can be tailored to the background of any student.
The AksaraMatika program doesn’t stop there. Previously, similar activities have been held at SMPN 24 Semarang, SMPN 3 Ungaran, SDN Sekaran 02, SDN Sekaran 01, and now it is reaching Indonesian children abroad, namely at the Wiradamai Learning Center and the Sentul Learning Center, as previously described.
Through this service, AksaraMatika affirms its commitment that education is the right of every child, and that with creative, inspiring, and culturally based learning, every Indonesian child can develop to their full potential.
