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In Gobang, where Ms. Kusumaningrum is based, there is no running water and no Internet.

Ms. Kusumaningrum says one of the biggest challenges is not having people her own age to talk to — many of the young people from Gobang have gone to work at factories in Jakarta, leaving an age gap that is noticeable.

She now rotates between classrooms at the modest school in Gobang, teaching English, math and Indonesian to grades one through six.

“I like interacting with children, and I like to listen to them and talk to them, and I think I’m good at that,” said the 23-year-old Indonesian, who enrolled in the program, Indonesia Mengajar, and has lived in Gobang, West Java, since last June.

Strike's real name was Gobang; but we called him Strike, because he was always asking for more pay.