The Ramadan holiday season in Indonesia offers ETAs a variety of unique and exciting opportunities to engage with their communities. With some schools changing their activities for part or all of the month, ETAs had an opportunity to increase their broader cultural and community engagement. The goals of the Fulbright ETA program in Indonesia are to encourage grantees’ involvement in local communities, promote mutual understanding, and create channels for active English speaking.
In 2025, AMINEF introduced a new initiative, “Ramadan Bliss.” This program provides opportunities for ETAs to leverage the holiday season to increase their impact in the community.
Leading up to Ramadan, ETAs worked to craft funding proposals for Ramadan-related projects. We are excited to share a brief selection of their successful initiatives:
At SMK Abdurrab Pekanbaru, ETA Maria Osman implemented a special Ramadan Iftar project that blended cultural exchange with language learning. Students created English videos about how Ramadan is celebrated in Indonesia for a video competition, and Osman gave a presentation about how Ramadan is celebrated in the United States.
The event provided a space for storytelling, shared experiences, and deeper understanding—all over a meaningful Iftar meal.
At SMKN 1 Kutalimbaru, ETA Brady Allen hosted a collaborative Iftar event where teachers and students gathered to break their fast together.
The event allowed participants to share traditions, customs, and the significance of Ramadan in English. They also learned and practiced new vocabulary related to the holiday season. Allen shared, “The event brought together members of SMKN 1 Kutalimbaru for an evening full of sharing and learning about Islamic traditions while becoming more informed members of their community.”
ETA Hannah Semmes worked with the English club at SMAN 10 Bengkulu to host an educational Iftar for a local community orphanage.
Semmes’s students led activities and games in English before everyone joined in breaking their fast.
Reflecting on the experience, Semmes noted, “The event offered effective hands-on teaching, relationship-building, and memories to last a lifetime. The high school students had the chance to practice leadership, the children in the orphanage were exposed to new ideas, and the community was strengthened by sharing Iftar with those who may not have a family to celebrate with.”
ETAs Adeena Ali and Mary Breen collaborated to host a two-day Ramadan event in Belitung.
The event featured group discussions, breakout sessions with multiple ETAs, and Iftar. Ali reflected, “Ramadan is always an experience that differs for Muslims and non-Muslims, but it should be a bridge rather than a barrier to open conversation—that is what this project is about.”
At SMA Xaverius Bandar Lampung, ETA Annie Cowen collaborated with her OSIS student council to organize and deliver 200 boxes of takjil to Muslim residents of Bandar Lampung while braving the rain outside. This initiative helped celebrate the breaking of the fast during Ramadan and promoted cultural exchange throughout the preparation process as the student council planned the event.
This new initiative was a success, enhancing the impact of the Fulbright ETA program in Indonesia. AMINEF hopes to continue it in future years.
