BARLI ASMARA

Barli Asmara is a rising young Indonesian fashion designer. His style is unique, complex, modern, romantic, soft, sensitive, and edgy.

Barli Asmara was born in Bandung. He studied interior design and communication business.

Barli Asmara started his career in fashion in 2002 and called himself as a tailor. He did not dare to proclaim himself as a fashion designer that time because he did not have the characteristics and style and were still guessing around about his style.

In 2006, he started to get famous as he was referred as one of the seven upcoming designers. He then dared to express himself as a fashion designer.

Fashion has been a choice career of Barli Asmara as it is in his blood and fashion has been a big part of his life since his early years. His grandmother was a Sundanese make up artist and his mother is a makeup artist and hairstylist, while two of his aunties, Corrie Kastubi and Poppy Isman, are a fashion designer and a jewelry designer.

The designs of Barli Asmara are quite modern and edgy but complex and detailed as he wants to be unique and different than others, but he is actually an out-going personality and likes to wear casual clothes.

Barli Asmara gets his inspirations to design his clothes through love, affection and travelling. He travels to explore the culture of Indonesia and the creativity of Indonesian art makers.

Barli Asmara believes that his job as a fashion designer is to bring up the beauty of the personality who wears his clothes.

Barli Asmara owns a ready to wear boutique at the Fashion First Design Emporium, Senayan City.

Barli Asmara participated in the Jakarta Fashion Week 2008, Spring Summer 2009 Fashion First, Re-introduction of AMICA magazines event in Plaza Indonesia, Bazaar Wedding Exhibition 2010 at the Four Season hotel Jakarta, etc.

The next target of Barli Asmara is to go international and design kids wear.

Barli Asmara looks at himself as perfectionist as he wants to give the best for his clients. He likes to be simple, neat, and clean.

The favorite fashion designers of Barli Asmara are Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Viktor Horsting & Rolf Snoeren, Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana, Raf Simons, and Christopher Kane. He adores the products of Gucci, Hermes, Bvlgari and Bottega Veneta. He also likes perfume so much.

HOUSE OF LEARNING CINTA ANAK BANGSA

Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB), founded by Veronica Colondam, has been paying more attention to street kids, especially to those who can not go to school due to their financial condition. YCAB believes that there is no reason for those kids for not having a proper education. That is the reason why they created Rumah Belajar Cinta Anak Bangsa (House of Learning Cinta Anak Bangsa).

By educating the kids, YCAB hopes that they can contribute something good for the better future of Indonesia and reducing the rate of criminality. Most criminality comes from poor economic condition and poor education.

Veronica Colondam as the founder of the foundation believes that education is the right weapon to kill the poorness.

The House of Learning was established by YCAB in 2003. The house provides education program that is equal with the education given at Elementary School and High School. The education given in the house is a non-formal education, but the students can automatically continue their study to the formal school. The students are also provided with other courses like sewing, beauty clinic, computer, and English Language. Besides the general education and the courses, the house also provides other subjects like percussion and theater.

In 2005, the house started to cooperate with Bina Nusantara Foundation to start the computer course. After that, more companies are hand in hand with the house to increase the quality of their education by giving some courses.

Until today, YCAB organizes three House of Learning in Jakarta located in Duri Kepa, Tegal Alur and Cikarang.

One of the House of Learning is located in Duri Kepa. It is a 2 storey-house building with more than six large rooms. The rooms are divided into back office, classes and library. They have classes for general subject of education, and laboratories for computer course, English Language course, sewing course and beauty course. The classes for general subjects can be used for several subjects, while the laboratories are only used for the special courses. While classes for general subjects should only be used for the students of the house, the course laboratories can be used by other children, not the students from the house, if they are interested to learn at the courses.

Before the House of Learning receives the children as the students there, a screening will be conducted to make sure that the children come from poor families. And the parents can send their children anytime they want to without being limited by the year of enrollment just like in other formal school.

When the house was built for the first time, it did not charge any fees to its students. But after some moments, the house applies charges to the students with IDR120 thousands per year per student. The school fees can be paid anytime when the parents have money, either by credits or cash. The purpose of the payment is that the house wants to increase the sense of responsibility of the students and their parents. By paying the school fees, they are expected to learn hard and be serious with their study.

Usually, the house accepts the children around the community. That is the reason why YCAB are gathering some more financial back up, so they can build more House of Learning in Jakarta and Indonesia.

House of Learning is supported by Bina Nusantara Foundation, Rudy Hadisuwarno, Sebastian Gunawan, Mustika Ratu, Putri Indonesia Foundation, Beauty Inc, and many others. The house also holds some charity events to collect more funds for the house. One of its efforts is by selling an IDR 20 thousand arm-band.

According to YCAB, until 2009, its House of Learning has educated more than 5,000 kids. YCAB hopes that by having more House of Learning, Indonesia is free from jobless.

Say no to ignorance, especially to education! Expensive education is only between your ears!

RUMAH BELAJAR CINTA ANAK BANGSA

Pada suatu hari, saya diberi kesempatan untuk berkunjung ke Rumah Belajar Cinta Anak Bangsa (RBCAB) yang didirikan oleh Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB). YCAB adalah yayasan yang didirikan oleh Veronica Colondam yang telah lama memberikan perhatian kepada anak-anak jalanan, terutama yang tidak dapat bersekolah karena kondisi keuangan mereka yang berkekurangan.
YCAB percaya bahwa tidak ada alasan bagi anak-anak tersebut untuk tidak bisa mendapatkan pendidikan yang pantas. Alasan inilah yang membuat YCAB membangun RBCAB. Dengan mendidik mereka, YCAB berharap bisa menyumbangkan sesuatu yang baik untuk masa depan Indonesia yang lebih baik lagi dan mengurangi angka kriminalitas. Kriminalitas datang kebanyakan dari kondisi ekonomi yang buruk dan pendidikan yang buruk.

Veronica Colondam sebagai pendiri YCAB percaya bahwa pendidikan adalah senjata yang ampuh untuk memberantas kemiskinan.

RBCAB didirikan oleh YCAB pada tahun 2003. RBCAB memberikan program pendidikan dasar, yaitu Paket A, Paket B dan Paket C, yang setara dengan pendidikan yang diberikan di SD sampai SMA. Walau pendidikan yang diberikan di RBCAB adalah pendidikan non-formal, tetapi para siswanya dapat melanjutkan pendidikan mereka ke sekolah formal. Para siswa juga diberikan kursus lain, seperti kursus menjahit, kursus kecantikan, kursus komputer, dan kursus Bahasa Inggris. Selain pendidikan dasar dan kursus-kursus, RBCAB juga membekali para siswanya dengan ekstra kulikuler seperti perkusi dan drama.

Pada tahun 2005, RBCAB mulai bekerja sama dengan Yayasan Bina Nusantara untuk memulai kursus komputer. Setelah itu, banyak perusahaan lain yang bekerja sama dengan RBCAB untuk meningkatkan kualitas dari pendidikan mereka dengan memberikan kursus-kursus.

Sampai saat ini, RBCAB telah dibangun di Duri Kepa, Tegal Alur dan Cikarang yang semuanya berada di Jakarta.
RBCAB yang saya kunjungi adalah yang berlokasi di Duri Kepa. Bangunan dua lantai ini memiliki lebih dari 6 ruangan besar yang dibagi untuk kantor, kelas-kelas dan perpustakaan. Mereka mempunyai kelas-kelas untuk pendidikan dasar dan laboratorium untuk kursus komputer, kursus Bahasa Inggris, kursus menjahit dan kursus kecantikan. Kelas-kelas untuk pendidikan dasar dapat dipakai untuk beberapa mata pelajaran secara bergantian, sedangkan laboratorium hanya bisa dipakai untuk kursus yang telah ditentukan. Kalau kelas untuk pendidikan dasar hanya dapat dinikmati oleh siswa dari RBCAB, maka kelas kursus dapat diikuti oleh anak-anak lain yang bukan siswa dari RBCAB, kalau mereka tertarik untuk mengambil kursus tersebut.

Sebelum RBCAB menerima anak-anak sebagai siwa disana, sebuah survey diadakan untuk memastikan bahwa anak-anak tersebut datang dari keluarga tak mampu. Dan para orang tua dapat mengirimkan anak-anak mereka untuk bersekolah di RBCAB kapanpun tanpa dibatasi oleh masa pendaftaran sekolah seperti di sekolah umum lainnya.

Pada awal RBCAB dibuat, mereka tidak mengutip biaya sedikitpun dari para siswanya. Tetapi kemudian, RBCAB mengenakan biaya Rp 120 ribu per tahun per anak. Biaya sekolah dapat dibayarkan kapan saja para orang tua memiliki uang, baik secara tunai maupun secara mengangsur. Tujuan dari uang sekolah ini adalah untuk meningkatkan rasa tanggung jawab dari para siswa dan orang tuanya. Dengan membayar uang sekolah, mereka diharapkan untuk tekun belajar dan serius dengan pendidikan mereka.

Biasanya, RBCAB menerima anak-anak dari lingkungan sekitar. Ini juga merupakan alasan mengapa YCAB sedang giat-giatnya mengumpulkan dukungan keuangan, sehingga YCAB dapat membangun lagi beberapa RBCAB di Jakarta dan Indonesia.

RBCAB ternyata didukung sepenuhnya oleh Yayasan Bina Nusantara, Rudy Hadisuwarno, Sebastian Gunawan, Mustika Ratu, Yayasan Putri Indonesia, Beauty Inc, dan sponsor-sponsor lainnya. RBCAB juga sering mengadakan acara-acara penggalangan dana, salah satunya dengan menjual gelang dengan harga Rp20 ribu.

Menurut catatan YCAB, sampai 2009, RBCAB telah mendidik lebih dari 5,000 anak-anak. YCAB berharap dengan adanya lebih banyak RBCAB, Indonesia akan terbebas dari pengangguran.

Pelajaran yang saya ambil dari kunjungan saya ke RBCAB ini adalah untuk peduli terhadap pendidikan! Pendidikan tidak mahal asal kita mau saling membantu untuk mereka yang berkekurangan!