Dedicating Knowledge

Enlightening Society

Indonesia as an archipelago country has logical consequences like two sides of a coin. On one hand, thousands of islands mean richness of people and cultures, flora fauna and natural resources, on the other hand the condition gives impacts on the development disparities among regions that affect people's lives and economy. Many young people have been aware of this reality and have tried to improve their self-quality through education by continuing their studies to other developed cities, including Yogyakarta.

Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, as a student mentoring institution from various regions studying in Yogyakarta gave students an opportunity to think about their abandoned home areas through Local Exposure program in which they may map potencies and challenges of their regions, open networks in his/her region and apply their knowledge. Three students joined as participants in 2017, this year. Who were they?

Erik Puae,

A student of Informatics and Computer Management at Bina Sarana Informatika, South Jakarta. Although studying in Jakarta, he has a high motivation to attend training at Stube-HEMAT in Yogyakarta. He is from Puao village, Central Wasile, East Halmahera, North Maluku. His idea to take part in Local Exposure came when he knew problems faced by people in his village when they processed letters administration in village office. It turns out that the local village officers are not skilled enough to operate computer. He offered computer training to them in order to improve their skills, but the idea did not work because they did not give him the training schedule.

Finally he changed the target to young people in his village and students of SMK (vocational school) Marhaen. There were two dozens young people and students enthusiastically attended basic computer training, how to operate computer and type letters. They were divided into several groups and Erik adjusted the time they have, because some of them have to study and work. Currently one trainee have practiced their skills as typists at schools.

Angela Saleilei,

A student of Governmental Science at STPMD APMD Yogyakarta, is from Saureinu, South Sipora, Mentawai Islands, West Sumatera. She has an attention on the environment problem in her village because the local residents are still littering rubbish anywhere even in rivers. The residents living near a river frequently complain about the dirty river so they cannot bathe in it. The cattle pen usually built in front of their houses also needed to be rearranged, so she thought that she should give enlightenment to them to care about the environment and health.

When she interacted with the people, she faced difficulty to invite them to participate in socialization session about environmental sanitation. It was caused by people’s low awareness about it, even worse that some local students who should have more advanced thinking were un-aware of it. Nevertheless the head of Saureinu village supported her activities by providing opportunity for presentation. Further, they will invite people to work together and participate in creating Saureinu village environment cleaner in the future.

Nastasya Derman,

A young girl from Gardakau, Benjina, Aru Islands, Maluku. Her village consists of islands so the education facilities are not well distributed, even the island in where she lives has only elementary school level, so the students have to bounce across the sea to continue to junior high school. This prompted Tasya, a student of Indonesian Language and Literature Education at Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University in Yogyakarta to take benefit from her campus break by accompanying school children in her village to study, by walking around the village through mangroves and coastal area to learn something, telling story and rewriting what they hear and read book.

The children enthusiastically took part the activities because Tasya practiced new approaches, praised them, provided experiential learning to nature and gave expression space through writing and drawing. The parents felt so happy because their children were eager to learn and discover new experiences about the lessons and environment around them.

What interesting experiences they are! It is time for young people to dedicate knowledge and enlighten community. Although it is simple, it increases the community quality (TRU).