Expanding Horizons with Table Tennis: ASA Foundation’s Dream Building Fund Journey

As the ITTF Foundation concludes its partnership with various DBF projects this year, we are excited to spotlight the meaningful journey of a remarkable initiative in Pluit, North Jakarta, Indonesia. The 2-year project ‘Table Tennis for Education’, supported by the Dream Building Fund 2021 powered by The Foundation for Global Sports Development, has targeted 20 teachers and over 4,000 male and female students in the slums of North Jakarta. Its mission has been to foster core competencies among vulnerable youth, leveraging a blended participatory classroom workshop and youth development methodology to deliver education on health, life skills, gender equality, and circular economy.

Addressing Challenges in Pluit, Indonesia

Pluit, a densely populated urban area in North Jakarta, faces significant socio-economic challenges. The slums are particularly vulnerable, with residents grappling with limited access to quality education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods. The area's environmental issues, including waste management and pollution, further exacerbate the living conditions. Against this backdrop, the project aims to bring transformative change by focusing on the holistic development of the community through education and sports.

A Comprehensive Plan for Progress

Realising that sustainable development begins with education, the project was designed to align with Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education / Target 4.7: Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. This includes education for sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence. The project's comprehensive approach involves recruiting, training, and employing talented teacher trainers to lead the table tennis activities that are combined with educational content.

Key initiatives included:

1. Integrating table tennis and life skills

Conducting regular table tennis training sessions in schools and integrate lessons on circular economy, health, life skills, and gender equality.

2. Building capacity for trainers

Organising Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops every year six months to build and strengthen the capacity of schoolteachers in using Table Tennis for Development (TT4D).

3. Ensuring effectiveness through consultation

Implementing regular consultation and mentoring with education departments, teachers, and youth to ensure the project's effectiveness and sustainability.

4. Fostering sustainable communities

Promoting cleaner, greener, and more sustainable communities.

With these strategic actions, the project aimed to foster a positive mindset among participants, empowering them to envision and work towards a brighter future.

Project Activities

ASA Foundation executed several key activities to ensure the project's success and sustainability. To ensure high retention rates the weekly participant engagement was tracked. Constant monitoring and evaluation processes also helped to achieve the goals set at the start of the project.

• ToT workshops

In 2022, the project started by conducting a 2-day trainer workshop where 20 promising teachers were introduced to the concept of Table Tennis for Development and learned how to deliver table tennis-based education. The teachers met regularly for refresher workshops.

• TT4D Training Platform

During the project period ASA Foundation designed and developed a TT4D Training Platform. Using a collaborative approach, stakeholders were involved in designing this TT4D curriculum. Initially planned for 4 weeks, the curriculum was updated over 24 months and presented to the ITTF Foundation and stakeholders for review. Available in Bahasa Indonesian and English, it was rolled out during the trainer workshops and continuously refined based on stakeholder feedback.

• TT4D Youth Development Training

Finally, the main body of ASA Foundations activities consisted of the TT4D Youth Development Training at schools. Following the trainer workshop, the 20 teachers led weekly table tennis related activities for students. Students were excited to learn new table tennis skills during outdoor and indoor training. Other activities included making table tennis rackets out of waste materials and learning about recycling.

Harvesting the Fruit and Looking Ahead

The DBF project achieved great outcomes over its 2-year tenure, reaching the trainer as direct participants and students as indirect participants alike.

At the end of the TT for Education project, every trainer reported positive experiences, with 100% feeling confident in delivering the project’s activities to youth and seeing improvement in their own skills. This empowerment ensures that the trainers will continue the activities beyond the DBF support’s completion at their schools, leading to a self-reliant teaching community. Additionally, 100% of trainers believed in the project's results on enhancing youth health, circular economy practices, and gender equality, further supporting the project's objectives.

On the other hand, the project influenced students, with 100% effectively engaging in the TT4D educational activities. An impressive 90% of the youth showed marked improvements in their learning and fitness, as well as fostering positive behaviour and self-confidence.

As the trainers feel confident and the necessary equipment is in place at schools, ASA Foundation is confident that the project's effect will continue to grow in the future and remain sustainable.

Legacy of Change: An Ongoing Commitment

Though the DBF project support has concluded, ASA Foundation and ITTF Foundation remain united in their mission to promote quality education and development through sports. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to project leader Lee Hawkins, project coordinator Nadhia Dennysyah and their dedicated team for their unwavering commitment and exceptional work on the DBF project. As we look ahead to future endeavours, we are confident that we will continue to make a meaningful and positive contribution to SDG 4.

For more information about the project, please visit this webpage (click here) and check out their wrap-up video here:

#TTCanChangeLives