Colruyt Group Foundation inaugurates a new sustainable school in Indonesia

Semarang (Indonesië) - Colruyt Group Foundation inaugurated a new school in Indonesia this week. This sustainable building will ultimately provide vocational training to 330 Indonesian young people every year, preparing them for a range of professions. Colruyt Group Foundation has been active in Indonesia for twenty years and has already supported more than 4,000 young people in their secondary and higher education.“I feel that the circle has come full circle. The idea for a foundation was born in Indonesia twenty years ago, and this concrete school project started ten years ago. Being here today to inaugurate this new building gives real meaning to that journey and leaves a visible mark of Colruyt Group Foundation’s commitment alongside local organisations around the world,” explains Lisa Colruyt, Board Member of Colruyt Group Foundation.

The inauguration of the school in Semarang marks a new step in Colruyt Group Foundation’s long-term commitment in Indonesia. The idea originated in 2015 when Jef Colruyt, during a visit, noticed that one of the Foundation’s partner schools lacked sufficient space.
​The school covers an area of 1,500 m² and can accommodate 330 students. It was designed by a local architectural firm in collaboration with Colruyt Group Real Estate. The building is fully sustainable, considering both the tropical climate and the region’s seismic sensitivity.

• Natural ventilation replaces air conditioning, ensuring a comfortable indoor climate.
• Roof structures limit direct sunlight and reduce heat gain.
• Modular walls made from reclaimed wood contribute to circularity.

Several companies* contributed to this project. Their support made it possible to realise the project’s sustainability ambitions and to build a high-quality, future-proof school. The project was driven by close cooperation with local partners, with cultural differences and language barriers overcome through regular meetings and mutual trust.
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​With this school, Colruyt Group Foundation aims to give young people in Semarang the opportunity to realise their potential and bring about positive change in their communities. The project illustrates how the Foundation puts its mission into practice: "We want to give young people around the world the opportunity to grow up healthy and to develop on a sustainable planet. That is why we continue to support local actors and promote sustainable education,” explains Lisa Colruyt. During their visit, Lisa and Jef Colruyt also met alumni of the Foundation’s scholarship programme.

4,000 scholarship holders through the Ykai programme
​The project 'Bourses et Program Académique' by Ykai, local partner of Colruyt Group Foundation, has already enabled more than 4,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 18 to continue their high school education. Each year, four students are selected to progress to higher education after completing secondary school. After three years of bachelor’s studies at university, these young people are offered an internship in Singapore — an experience that allows them to improve their English, expand their professional network and, hopefully, facilitate their future integration into the labour market**. “"The scholarship of Colruyt Group Foundation has been instrumental in enabling me to pursue my university education, and it has opened up opportunities for me to secure a respectable job that allows me to provide for my family's prosperity. I am very grateful for this support”, concludes Ahmad Sibahul Khoir (UIN Walisongo university Semarang)

*Etex, Bambu Nusa Verde, Van Leeuwen, Locatus, ETAP Lightning International.

**Internship in Singapore with EF Education.