Local Exposure

Ecology Development and Conservation Co-partner with Christian Student Movement in Tentena, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi

Name : Friskal Gustiani Koho

University : STTNI (Indonesian Nazarene Theological College)

Period : June 2009 – August 2009

I have followed some programs held by Stube HEMAT such as Program Orientation, Social Analysis, Organic Agriculture, Waste Treatment and Ecology. I feel more mature to see my life and opportunity. As a student of theology in Indonesian Nazarene Theological College, I have task to bring good news about Christ to everyone.

Stube HEMAT enriches me with any skills through programs I follow. The skills make me easy to have communication with other people by approaching them with any social problem they have. Further, I am very happy to have chance in local exposure program that supports me to go home to see my local region I have left during my study. I wonder what I can do there during my holiday. For a while, I remember riots of conflict in my regions because of religions sentiment and political reasons. Boomed market, boomed churches and shot-death priest alert me to do something. I remembered the scene of ruined building, scattered rubbish, heaps of boards and soil when I left for Java to have safe education. I plan to do something related with ecology that I am sure has been long neglected by people.

Arriving in Palu, Central Sulawesi on June 8, 2009 I had to spend 8 hours by public transport to my home in Tentena. It was great! God always guides me to home. Actually, I plan to realize my plan with “Sondaka” Youth Centre however, I found it has internal problem that is almost closed. I searched alternative organization that finally I met a friend from Christian Student Movement in Tentena. I shared and discussed ecological problem in Tentena with all activist and made decision to make action. I gave all ecological material from Stube HEMAT to them as sources to learn.

Listen to some suggestions, we chose ex-central market, the dirtiest location in Tentena. Making such action was not simple, as it had to cooperate with other institutions like Church Synod, Police and City Plan Department of Tentena City. We also involved students of three Christian High Schools to take part in this action.

It took one month to coordinate this action, that we finally had agreement to do it in the morning of August 1, 2009. My friends and I prepared brochure of Ecology Damage occurred in Indonesia distributed in the action.

I was very happy that Chief of Christian Student Movement totally supported this action, by giving some oration before action. Rev. Damanik, the supervisor of the organization was also actively involved in that action together with police. Students of three Christian High Schools were happy to involve. It was time to show that Christians also cares to ecology preservation, conservation action and nature as the response to God blessing on the earth.

Honestly, I was touched by good response although I did not bring money but just idea to move them into action. I motivated people to involve in natural conservation action and begin to think about nature and conservation. The next agenda was cleaning Poso Lake, but I could not involve, as I had to go back to Java for my study. It becomes the agenda of Christian Student Movement in Tentena. They will prove that they care of nature.

This photo is Friends of Christian Student Movement in Tentena with Rev. Damanik and I.

Thank you Stube HEMAT, you have triggered me to act. I experienced much during my holiday.

Trafficking Problems in Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara

Name : Saralince Widyawati Bunga Tadu

University : STPMD (Village Development College)

Period : October 2009 - December 2009

Human trafficking is not only phenomenon but it is fact that we must solve as soon as possible. I am from NTT, the eastern part of Indonesia and NTT has highest rank in this case. Indonesian labor to abroad such as to Malaysia, Brunei, Korea, Hongkong and other surrounding countries may be the route of human trafficking of Indonesian human resource, and Manggarai is a town having most labor recruitment in NTT. Eighty percent of Indonesian woman labor going abroad is from NTT with low education and skills.

International Catholic Migration Commission notes 1000 trafficking cases, LBH Apik notes 125 cases, International Organization of Migration (IOM) notes 335 cases during the year of 2005-2007. The last data from Labor Department of NTT Province shows 1.209 cases during 2007. The actual data will be more since it is not transparent cases.

As a student from NTT, I am very concerned about this case, but I can do nothing. It is lucky that I have chance to take local exposure that I can coordinate with local NGO concerning on trafficking case, local church and local government administrator.

I found that government actually has issued regulation on human trafficking, No. 21/ 2007 to prevent trafficking and send to jail those break the law. However, it is not socialized well among law enforcers themselves so the treatments of trafficking cases are not so optimum. Trafficking case is not the same with other criminal case. Even families of victims close the case for many reasons. It is difficulties of spots.

There are some factors causing trafficking. Generally, poverty, limitation job chances of the area, high rate of unemployment make people immigrate to other places, cities, regions and countries to get better living. Hedonism is also factor to make people brave to do instant action without considering their skills and law protection. Going abroad as illegal workers are very common without thinking the risk on their life. Corrupting law enforcers also make worse of the condition. This case is more and more every year, although local government of NTT has issued regulation no. 14 / 2008 to protect NTT labor going abroad.

Since majority NTT people are Christians, I ask local churches of Maumere to care about this case and make action of advocacy both to applicants and to victims. Concerning this case, I come to PIAR, Rumah Perempuan, TRUK-F, Woman National Commission of NTT and Bureau of Woman Empowerment. They are NGOs concerning on woman cases and trafficking.The data I got is very crucial to write my thesis as the requirement to finish my study in Yogyakarta. Local condition calls me to write and make action for them. This local exposure enables me to have networking with other organizations focusing on trafficking. Further, I will come back to synergize them and apply what I write. Thanks Stube HEMAT.

Malnutrition and Children Growth at Aru, Dobo, Maluku

Name : Yohana M. Kalorbobir

University : Faculty of Nursery of Respati University

Period : August 2009 - October 2009

I am a student of Nursery Department and I am interested in local exposure program of Stube HEMAT. I plan to have health mapping about malnutrition and children growth at Aru, Dobo, Maluku in where I was born. Aru is islands group. Some of them are still no dwellers. Aru is a new made region established in 2003. Although it is a new administration but it is no reason to have children malnutrition there. Based on the malnutrition mapping I learn that Aru is in-group of children malnutrition zone. I think that this deep observation on such case is very important to reveals since children are important as next generation of nations, especially for Aru people themselves.

I concentrate in Dobo, the capital city of Aru. It is puzzled that Dobo with intermediate and higher social class group has malnutrition (Kwashiorkor and Marasmus). Kwashiorkor is a shortage energy and protein because of protein deficiency, while Marasmus is a shortage of energy and protein because of energy (calorie) deficiency. This case is commonly among children age of 1,5 – 2 years. Kwashiorkor makes the sufferers thin while Marasmus makes the sufferers swelling.

Dates collection involves Health Department of Dobo, hospitals, health public service, churches and woman groups. It indicates that malnutrition is kind of ashamed case of a family and for the region. Sometimes hospitals or public health service are reluctant to give the dates or it has not managed well for the solution. I found that economy crisis made people lost their jobs and lost their income. They cannot provide good nutrition food for themselves and for their children. Culture reason gives contribution to the malnutrition, as they cannot eat for some fishes that I found many people in Java consume as their food. People should learn the variety of their food from any sources that they can cultivate themselves. Lack of food knowledge is also the reason that contributes to such cases.

All stakeholders in healthy sector must work in synergy to reveal such condition not to close it. Self-cultivation of food sources must be propagandized like planting spinach, tomato and other vegetables in the yard for family consumption or cultivation of fishpond, not just relying on sea fish.This condition encourages me to finish my study in Java. Many works to do in local region are waiting for me.