April 13, 2025, 5:09 pm

From One Refugee Family to a Lifelong Mission: How My Teaching Journey Began

How It All Began
My teaching journey began in 2005 — not in a classroom, but in a small living room in Bogor, West Java. At the time, I had never formally taught anyone. But when an old friend introduced me to a refugee family from Afghanistan, something in me said yes. The family had recently arrived in Indonesia and were waiting for asylum in Australia. They needed an English teacher for their children. I had no teaching background, but I had loved English since I was a kid and had earned my English certificate in Australia. That gave me just enough confidence to say, “Let’s do this.”

They offered me IDR 750K per month — four hours of teaching each week. It wasn’t much, especially in today’s terms. But for me, at that moment, it meant purpose. I was eager to help their children speak basic English so they could navigate their new life more easily once they arrived in Australia. After six months, their asylum process was approved. The family moved to Australia, and their children left with a foundation in English — and I was left with something even greater: the realization that teaching had quietly become my passion.



📘 Building a Foundation
The following year, in 2006, I enrolled in a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) program in Jakarta. The certification included three months of training in exchange for a two-year teaching commitment — and it changed everything. I had mentors, structured learning, and hands-on experience teaching English to children and teens from different backgrounds. I learned how to manage a class, how to create lesson plans, and most importantly, how to make learning joyful.

🌴 A Life Pivot to Sulawesi
At the start of 2007, life led me back to my hometown — Gorontalo, Sulawesi. 
A quiet move, but a big step. I had no idea that this transition would set the stage for something even bigger: teaching Bahasa Indonesia to foreigners, launching my own language programs, writing books, and building restiany.com to reach thousands of learners worldwide.

Arrived in Gorontalo, 2007. My next chapter was waiting… 
✨ Stay tuned for Part 2: “From Sulawesi to the World” — how a life detour became a launchpad Stay tuned for Part 2: “From Sulawesi to the World” — how a life detour became a launchpad. 