NO STRINGS ATTACHED: Violinists play together at Suropati Park in Central Jakarta on Sunday. Every Sunday, students, professionals and buskers gather Sunday, students, professionals and buskers gather in the park to play together. (JP/Tifa Asrianti)

Some people use parks as jogging tracks or places for some alone time. But has anyone ever considered using a park as a learning spot? The community groups Sahabat Anak and Suropati Park Chambers certainly have.

Every Sunday, Suropati Park turns into an outdoor classroom for Sahabat Anak (Friends of The Children), a non-profit organization focusing on education for impoverished children, and Suropati Park Chambers, a community group that gets together to practice violins and other stringed instruments.

On a recent Sunday morning, as a light drizzle wet the grass, members of Sahabat Anak gathered at 9 a.m. A group of children arrived at Suropati Park in several bajaj. Each child carried a bag containing books and pens.

They headed to the park's fountain, where three young women welcomed them. They sat around the fountain, opened their books and class began.

The children live near the Manggarai railway tracks, while the young women are volunteers from Sahabat Anak.

"We began using this park last October after our study room in Manggarai was demolished. The learning activity usually lasts from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. or whenever they feel like it," Rani, one of the volunteers, said.

She said holding classes in the park was good for the children because there was no park in their neighborhood.

"We chose this park because it's the closest place for the children. The children like studying here because the air is fresh," she said.

The volunteers help the children with their school subjects, such as mathematics and Indonesian. The children can choose which subject they want to study on a particular day.

Ani, an eleventh-grader at a vocational school and the oldest in the group, said she benefited from the activity because it helped her understand accounting. The oldest of four children, Ani is currently an intern at the marine and fisheries ministry.

"I hope I can get a job quickly so I can help my parents and siblings," she said.

Lia, Ani's sister, said she liked the group because it helped her write poems. The 10-year-old showed her latest poem, titled "Nusantara" (Archipelago), to Susi, one of the volunteers.

"I wrote this poem based on my recent visit to Ancol," Lia said.

Rani said most of the children in the group had trouble in school. She cited the case of Hendri, a 10-year-old, who could not read or write but was now in the third grade because his teachers always passed him on to the next class.

"He couldn't tell the difference between the letters 'w' and 'p'. Perhaps he has dyslexia or a nutritional problem, we can't tell for sure," Rani said.

Rani's colleague, Sisca, said the boy needed a private tutor to help him catch up to his class.

"He has a long way to go to catch up, but he is improving," Sisca said.

As the children finished their study and left the park, another group was arriving. Calling themselves Suropati Park Chambers, the members of the new group were carrying cases containing their violins.

"We usually practice between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.," Agustinus "Ages" Dwiharso, the group leader, said.

Ages said the idea to use Suropati Park for rehearsals began when he saw a musical performance at a park in the Netherlands. He brought the idea to his friend Rio Hermindo and they both started practicing the violin.

"Practicing violin in the open air is good for our health and helps us connect with the audience," he said.

He said he was concerned because so many Jakartans used their free time to visit malls. He said the group aimed at attracting more people to parks, giving them some other activity besides shopping.

"We picked Suropati Park because it is safe. We have so many guards around," he said.

Suropati Park can be considered one of the safest spots in town. With the houses of numerous prominent figures located around the park, there are numerous security guards nearby.

However, with the rainy season, the group must often cut short its rehearsals. Ages said that when it rained, the group took shelter in a hut in the park.

"I told them (group members) they have to work hard so the success would taste sweet," he said.

Ages said he chose violin because the instrument was portable and familiar to people.

"I want to bring this community abroad. But, for a start, we will hold our first recital in Jakarta City Center on May 2," he said.

Ages said his community, which was started by four people last year, now had around 30 members. The group focuses on playing Indonesian traditional songs, such as Manuk Dadali from West Java and Kicir-kicir from Jakarta.

"Our community is diverse, with members ranging from students to street musicians. Everybody can join us, there is no requirement," he said.

One of the street musicians who has joined the group is Arifin. Previously a newspapers seller, Arifin has been practicing violin with the community for eight months.

"I saw people playing violins last year. I wanted to learn. So I joined the community after I saved some money from selling newspapers and bought a violin," Arifin said.

Another member is Bambang, a 57-year-old who wanted something to do when it came time for him to retire.

"I joined this community three months ago. I don't know anything about playing violin, but I'm really interested in it," he said.

Ages said most members only learned about the group after happening upon members practicing in the park.

"I hope more people will use the park for social interactions, like we do," Ages said.

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