First of all, I would like to say congratulation WAAMA for the 20th anniversary, to the Dear President Liu Jian Hua, council members of WAAMA, representative of unit of WAAMA expert representative and all attendee, good morning.
I’m Alexander K Taslim from Sempoa SIP, Indonesia the largest abacus education chain in Indonesia.
Going back to 20 years ago on 28th October 2002 as one of the chartered member of WAAMA, we share a really fond and warm memories where WAAMA being born as a non-profit organisation promoting abacus to the whole world. WAAMA had promote abacus culture, drives the research and development in the abacus world, and also organising prestigious international competition. These efforts are not only beneficial for all WAAMA member but increases the quality of abacus world internationally. WAAMA had been a really good benchmark for all of us especially Sempoa SIP to achieve the international standard. Our student were always so excited when WAAMA create competition for them to join in.
These past 2 to 3 years had been a difficult time for everyone. The world facing an unprecedent viruses that made the whole world pause. We are unable to travel, unable to meet people, unable to create events. Schools were shutting down, teachers were sent home, students were not allowed to go to play outside or even meeting their friends. Isolation are being implemented to our daily lives. New regulation from the government hinder us from meeting each other. Not only the virus affect our health, it also affect our social needs and businesses.
Being in that situation pushed us to work and think outside the box as an organisation. We need to improvise how we teach, deliver, and train our students.
We start our focus on the online platform learning. Through zoom meetings, social media advertising, and online webminars for the parents.
In short amount of time our trainers had develop a guidelines on how to teach students through online platforms. Not only that, in 2022 this year we created our first biggest online competition nation wide. The competition was recognised by the Indonesian book of record .
Which is a very proud moment for us. Not only we shift to online competition but also the biggest online competition nation-wide. These efforts we made are so that our students and parents still trust us as a strong brand and for us to be able to continue to communicate what is our brand to everyone.
On this year 2022 too, we Thank God that we are able to start our events face to face as the regulations are loosen up and gathering are allowed. Started from last July school already switch back to face to face classroom. We are able to create a face to face competition in well-known malls
And parents and student were so excited to be able to compete face to face again after all the situations.
So, I hope, the world is getting better each day and we are able to meet one another again one day as we start to live in the new normal life.
Once again, I would like to congratulate WAAMA for their 20th anniversary and may all the luck and prosperous years ahead for all of us.