Jokowi arrived in Banjarmasin at around 10 a.m. local time and was greeted by thousands of children singing "Syalawat Badar" at the festival.
The Indonesian president then praised the pupils for their activities during the festival: reciting the Holy Quran, singing Islamic songs, doing Arabic Calligraphy, and preaching "dawa."
Jokowi stated that in the era of globalization, Indonesian children should be creative and innovative to create a better future and be able to compete with their counterparts from other countries.
However, he reminded the children to preserve positive eastern values, such as being devout; staying humble; respecting their parents, teachers, and elderly; as well as loving their friends, regardless of their ethnicity and religion.
"Dear children, being a godly kid means you must study hard and never give up. Those are the secrets to being creative, but do not forget to love your parents and friends," he noted.
Some 10 thousand children are participating in the Indonesian Godly Kids Festival 2017 being held on Sept 13-16.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
