Lisma D. Oktafoma

 

Born and raised in Medan, North Sumatera, Lisma is used to multicultural environment. As she grew up, she has had friends from different religions and ethnicities. She realizes that difference is there to be embraced and tolerance is essential for everyone. Those values are what she hopes to teach to As Sakinah children. Lisma, or we often call her "Bu Haji", wants the children to be religious as well as to be global minded. She wants everyone to pursue his or her education. Because she believes that education will change people’s lives.

 

Some of things she loves in As Sakinah are when she collect the children’ report cards at the end of the semester and finds out that everyone gets good grades. She is also happy when As Sakinah children could get scholarships or tuition waiver from their school, because she knows that education is essential, however not everyone can afford it.

 

Nevertheless, every organization has its ups and downs. Lisma admits that it always sadden her when some children come to her to ask for tuition payment but the amount available is insufficient. Sometimes she has to tell the children to wait for couple of days. But the children are not her only concern. The maintenance of school facilities also takes up As Sakinah budget. “You would never know what is gonna happen”, she said when referring to unpredictable things in As Sakinah.

 

One day she was surprised by a knock on her door. Apparently many children have come to her house and knocked her door loudly. They called her and she ran out of her house wondering what was happening.The children said that the Saung, the bamboo bungalow used for Qur’an classes at that time had collapsed. She was shocked. Fortunately no one was hurt, but when she came to see, there was no bungalow, only wrecked bamboos scattered all over the ground.

 

Despite of whether it is sad or happy, all of these moments are memorable for her. She believes that every child is special and they deserve something special too, they deserve a bright future. She hopes that every children of As Sakinah could be successful in the future, academically and of course religiously.

 

She loves quoting former Indonesian president B.J. Habibie: “Berotak Jerman, berhati Mekkah, beralaskan sajadah”, which is her hope for all As Sakinah children.