Filming for Kiva, Indonesia take FOUR

Filming for Kiva, Indonesia TAKE FOUR

The second student that really caught Kiva's attention was Paulos. Ron, a fellow Kiva ...err...Fellow who is also currently working in Southeast Asia had met Paulos about a month ago and recommended that we interview him. Paulos lives about 8km away from his school - because of the distance and terrain, it takes him almost an hour to get to school each day by bike.

Since Paulos was about 90 minutes away from us, we all had to get up at 4am to make it to his home in time for his morning commute. Just before filming his journey to school, we went to his village to meet his parents and see his home. It was in a very isolated part of Cilacap, near the very end of the village. His home was simple and built with a straw roof and mud floor.
Right next to their home was their make-shift barn with ducks and goats. Both the ducks and goats ran freely through their home, "quack"-ing and "bahh"ing where they pleased.

Even though they did not have much, they still offered us tea and snacks for our visit. Indonesian people are very big on hospitality for their guests - and this family was very hospitable towards us. Inside their home, there was one and a half bedrooms - one of which was also the living room and eating area.


Paulos shared his home with his parents and two younger siblings - although Paulos had the opportunity to live closer to school, his family needed him to stay to help take care of their farm animals and children. His parents are extremely proud of him - for wanting to continue his education and finding a way to do it. It was heartbreaking when we spoke to his parents - because they blamed themselves for the situation they put their kids in. Like all other parents, they just wanted the best for their children, and they were so happy that Paulos had the opportunity for a better life because of this loan.

During the interview we learned a bit about Paulos and his ingenuity. He borrowed money to purchase some cookies from the market along with some nicer packaging. He repacked the cookies that he purchased and sold them to his teachers and neighbors. He was able to make enough of a profit to purchase some ducks and a goat for the family. Smart kid.

While filming around their home, Paulos' mother's friend came to visit and chat for a bit. Paulos' mother said that they were like kindred spirits, experiencing similar hardships but appreciating the life that they have nonetheless. With Christina translating, we were able to talk about how important a single opportunity is, and that when presented with an opportunity, they would never squander it because another chance might not ever come up again. Although they themselves did not have these chances in their lives, they hope that their children can take advantage of it and strive for a better future.

After meeting his family, we set off to school, filming Paulos on his bike. The things I do to get a good shot....

Paulos rode his bike behind the SUV - I filmed from the back of the SUV while Arda held the door open (no easy task). Paulos was an awesome sport about it and we made our way to his school.

Upon arrival, Paulos headed to his computer class where they were learning to use Microsoft word. We were able to get the teacher to take part in a scene with Paulos, at the expense of having his students tease him about it.

We got all the footage we needed for Paulos and he headed to his next class. As we were leaving, I wanted to take some shots of the hallway and somehow I developed a small fan-base of students behind me. I had screaming teenage fans all around me - kind of felt like a celebrity! Not wanting to be too disruptive, we finished up the shot quickly and left the school. Yungkit, Christina, and Arda were laughing their butts off the entire time.

Today was one of the best shoots I've had on this trip so far -- I couldn't be happier with the bike footage we got and I know that Paulos' profile is going to turn out great. Similar to Tedi's profile (Filming for Kiva, Indonesia TakE THREE), I hope that this blog post and the video I create will bring more awareness to the students around the world in need of educational loans. They want to learn and obtain skills for a better life, not just for them but for their families. Paulos wants to be successful so that his elderly parents no longer have to suffer back-breaking labor or need to beg in the streets when the harvest season is over. He's a really good kid and I hope that he achieves his goals in the future.

Paulos has the confidence and the tenacity to succed and I have no doubt that he will.