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Orphan takes 3 a.m. train every day to get free schooling in Depok
Master School currently caters to at least 2,000 students, most of whom are orphans.
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Listin, an 11-year-old student, rides a bicycle with her friend in the Master School yard during a holiday welcoming the holy month of Ramadan. (JP/Dames Alexander Sinaga)
A
rarity in Greater Jakarta, Master School in Depok, West Java, provides free education for orphans and children from low-income families.
One of its students, 10-year-old Karim Maullah, won the hearts of netizens nationwide when the story of his daily routine of taking the 3 a.m. train from his home in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, to get to Master School went viral.
From Monday to Friday, he can be seen sitting patiently in one of the commuter trains to Depok, wearing his red-and-white elementary school uniform – but no shoes.
Karim revealed that he began living with his grandmother after his mother passed away and his father left the family.
He said he aspired to become a soldier one day, which is why he makes every effort to make the long journey every day to go to school.
When word of his plight spread online, praise started pouring in for the young student’s determination to pursue his education.
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto himself complemented Karim and took him on a tour of the military training compound in Malang, East Java, on Friday.
