PANGKALAN KERINCI, Indonesia, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading sustainable fibre, pulp and paper producer Asia Pacific Resources International Limited ("APRIL") today announced that its operating arm, PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper ("RAPP"), has supported the development of a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ("UN SDGs") programme as part of the final year projects for ninth-grade students at SMP Global Andalan Junior High School. A showcase of the projects was held on 21 April 2022. Built by RAPP, SMP Global Andalan Junior High School is one of the fostered schools of RAPP. APRIL is a member of the Singapore-headquartered RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto.
The UN SDGs programme, which seeks to address social, economic and environmental issues in the world, has been included in the school's education curriculum since 2020. SMP Global Andalan Junior High School is one of the first schools to implement the UN SDGs programme in the Pelalawan Regency.
Adven Daeli, Principal of SMP Global Andalan Junior High School, said, "This programme aims to teach students to think creatively, develop a caring heart and be able to create solutions to every problem. Over the past year, our students started looking for ideas regarding the 17 UN SDGs. After developing the ideas, they set out to create plans, visit the fields, conduct interviews with people who are knowledge sources directly, document the process and finally present their work as a final year project in front of an audience comprising students, teachers and parents of students."
The school expects that the learning project activities regarding the implementation of the UN SDGs will continue to be improved and will be introduced to lower grade students in the future to give them an earlier start. This is in hope that the learning can be experienced by more students and that the school can enhance character building of the students in the spirit of Pancasila.
"My appreciation goes to all the supervising teachers who have shared their ideas and thoughts generously to realise the integration of the UN SDGs with learning activities," Mr Daeli said.
A total of 7 UN SDGs projects were carried out by 92 ninth-grade students. One of the projects is Local Pride Batik Bono. This project promotes Batik Bono as one of the popular souvenirs of the Anugerah Pesona Indonesia ("API") Award and it won second place in API 2022.
"The objective of our project is to provide support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, enable them to prosper and create jobs for many people. In doing so, we hope that the younger generation like us will be proud to use local products," said Nasywa, Ella and Duma, who promoted Ombak Bono-styled batik through cinematic videos, Twibbon and batik promotional posters.
Another project is Smart Youth Cares for Happiness, which involved the students visiting SMP Negeri 6 Pelalawan, another school in "Sering Village" and understanding the issues faced by the students. The students interacted with each other and delivered some items needed by the school such as notebooks, reading books, stationery, learning media, amongst others. The remaining 5 projects are Positive Emotional Work, Physical Fitness, Miniature Cultural Heritage, Care for Waste and Processing Cassava into Food with High Economic Value.
"Thank you to all our students, who have taken this learning opportunity seriously, and interacted with the community and contextual environment so that they can learn directly from the actual experience and this can be developed into meaningful knowledge for their lives," Mr Daeli concluded.
About APRIL
About APRIL Group: APRIL Group is a leading producer of fibre, pulp and paper with plantations and manufacturing operations in Riau Province, Indonesia. We are committed to sustainability in our business and in the broader landscapes where we operate. Under our production-protection model, we adopted a unique 1- for-1 goal where we aim to conserve one hectare of forest for every hectare of plantation, and currently conserve and restore approximately 364,996 hectares of forests, including the largest peatland restoration project in Indonesia.
For more information, visit www.aprilasia.com and follow Twitter @aprilpulp
About RGE
Headquartered in Singapore, RGE is a group of resource-based manufacturing companies with global operations. We produce sustainable natural fibres, edible oils, green packaging and clean natural gas used to create products that feed, clothe and energise the world. We help improve billions of peoples' lives through sustainable products they use every day. With more than US$25 billion in assets and 60,000 staff, we are creating a more recyclable, biodegradable and lower carbon future.
Committed to sustainable development, conservation and community development, we strive towards what is good for the community, good for the country, good for the climate, good for the customer, and good for the company. With current operations spanning across Indonesia, China, Brazil, Spain and Canada, we continue to expand and engage new markets.