Finding out

The other side of

Sumba and Bali

participants’s activities of Germany-Indonesia Exchange 2017/2018 in Sumba and Bali islands

Visiting Sumba and Bali islands (2-6/08/2018) was the series program of Germany-Indonesia 2017/2018 after Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Flying by Nam Air from Yogyakarta to Waingapu, East Sumba and after a transit in Denpasar, Bali, the group landed safely in Sumba island. Arriving at the hotel, some students and activists of Stube-HEMAT Sumba welcomed the participants with a very unique East Sumba welcoming dance.

In Sumba, the participants of Germany-Indonesia Exchange 2017/2018 held some activities with students and work team of Stube-HEMAT Sumba, such as visiting the Stube-HEMAT Sumba secretariat and having a discussion about programs and activities, women's participation in Stube-HEMAT Sumba, as well as the students’ experiences and challenges in this island.

Furthermore, the group visited Frans Fredi's house, one of the Stube-HEMAT Sumba activists who labeled himself as a young farmer who took the initiative to develop independent organic farming on his land by planting rice, mustards, watermelon, melon and chilli. Next, a visit to Gracia reading group was facilitated by Septi Dadi, an ex-activist at Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, who had returned to Sumba and became a mathematics teacher at State Junior High School of Waingapu. She has a concern on children by pioneering a group of reading and learning, accommodating children to learn and to develop themselves.

It was a really great opportunity for the participants when they had a chance to meet Gideon Mbiliyora, the regent of East Sumba regency at his official residence. Some topics came up at that moment around the Regent's concern on local young people and potencies of East Sumba. There were also criticisms about waste management scattered in Waingapu Amusement Park (THR) and he stated that he would remind the organizers of the event to prepare additional bins. Then, ‘Terpadu’ Theological Seminary of Waingapu became the next visit and they discussed with the lecturers and students. The students shared their experiences during their activities at Stube-HEMAT Sumba and the lecturers hoped that there would be closer collaboration with Stube-HEMAT Sumba.

The visit to GKS theological seminary and ‘Sumba Sejahtera’ Foundation (YSS) in Lewa, one of the sub-district cities in East Sumba, became  special experiences for participants. A trip went along the winding road from Waingapu to Lewa decorated by brownish hills and green valleys. In the middle of the journey, the group stopped a while at Elis's house, one of the Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta work teams and Rev. Domi’s house, the coordinator of Stube-HEMAT Sumba. Arriving at the YSS garden, I Gusti Made Raspita welcomed enthusiastically and shared the collaboration between YSS and Stube-HEMAT Sumba which encouraged young people to act real to green Sumba.

A dialogue with the lecturers and students of GKS Theological Seminary revealed the students’ experiences and impacts when attending Stube-HEMAT activities such as Social Analysis, Journalism and gender training, as well as the dynamics and challenges of life faced by the lectures and students there. Finally, the participants enjoyed a dinner at Rudyolof’s house, one of the Stube-HEMAT activists in Yogyakarta who had returned to his hometown.

Sunday morning in Sumba was begun with a morning service at GKS Payeti and the participants had a small choir in Deutsch and Indonesian, before flying to Denpasar, Bali. While traveling in the Legian area, the participants were shocked by a series of earthquakes from big earthquakes of Lombok. The participants and the people became panic, not knowing what was happening. It was a very memorable experience because they felt a big earthquake directly.

The next morning the group visited Tabanan at Bali Appropriate Technology Institute (BATI) to observe simple technology using water for micro electricity and hydram. In addition there is simple technology to harvest rainwater and utilize water for drinking water and crop irrigation. In the afternoon they visited a temple Pura Luhur at Tanah Lot. It is a unique temple because its place on a cliff and like a separate island when the sea tides.

Monday, August 6, 2018 was a farewell event for German-Indonesian Student Exchange 2017/2018. A reflection and sharing of experiences in the form of impressions, feelings, values of life and hope for the future ended a series of events in Indonesia.

The expressions that merged in prayer of each participant became hopes and dreams that will be realized in the future. (ELZ).