Creativity Day 2025 in YUM Kalimantan

August in Indonesia always feels special—the air is filled with excitement, flags flutter everywhere, and the spirit of independence runs high. At YUM Kalimantan, we welcomed this festive month in the best way we know how: by celebrating creativity, diversity, and community spirit!

The journey began on August 1st, when YUM launched a series of competitions that brought together over 300 enthusiastic participants. From the tiniest preschoolers to teenagers, everyone had a chance to shine. The competitions were as colorful as Indonesia itself:

• Preschool level: Creative dance and coloring contests
• Elementary school level (SD/MI): Quiz competition, storytelling, drawing, and poetry reading
• Junior high level (SMP/MTs): Quiz ranking challenge and drawing competition

It was no surprise that 80% of participants came from elementary schools—their energy and excitement filled the stage and kept the audience smiling throughout.

The highlight was Creativity Day itself on August 13th, themed “Keberagaman Indonesia” (The Diversity of Indonesia). The day unfolded like a festival:

1. An opening dance performance, “Tari Selendang,” by the YUM Dance Club set the stage.
2. Preschool finalists showed off their creative dances, judged by a truly diverse panel—Yolanda from YUM Jakarta, Dr. Anna Dall (Australian Volunteer Program), and Atiqah (intern from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia).
3. Winners of the earlier competitions took the spotlight with inspiring performances:
   • Storytelling about modern-day heroes—teachers 
   • Poetry reading about independence
4. More cultural dances followed, including the lively Tari Manyauak (children mimicking catching fish from the river) and the grand Tari Bumi Tambun Bungai performed by the older students.
5. The English Club brought an adorable twist with “Alphabet Idol,” singing ABC songs and acting out a short play on good manners.

And because no Independence celebration in Indonesia is complete without fun games, the day ended with laughter during the “Pencil Relay Race”, where nearly 200 attendees joined in cheering and playing together. 

Creativity Day wasn’t just about competitions—it was about giving children a stage to express themselves, share their stories, and celebrate Indonesia’s rich diversity. And most importantly, it was about the joy of learning and laughing together.

Here’s to the young voices, the bold dancers, the little poets, and every child who reminded us that Indonesia’s true spirit shines brightest through its people.