Outreaching Village Awakening Hope
Saturday, 16 December 2017by adminstube
Where did the young students in Waingapu during their semester break? Usually they spend holidays in their village. They stay in Waingapu and Lewa to continue their study after having graduated from high school because there are several collegesthere. Those studying in college certainly have additional knowledge that can be shared to others. Stube-HEMAT Sumba through 'ViMi'-Village & Me program gives students opportunities to do something for their villages spread out across Sumba island during their vacation. They may design useful activities for their village.
In fact, it is not easy for them to return to their villagesbecause of distance, difficulty to reach and sometimes the place is much isolated, up and down hill, crossing rivers, andpassing through rocky roads in order to share their knowledge with people in their village. Who are they?
Ekivianus Bulu,
A student at Theology College ‘Terpadu’ (STT), Waingapu from Tanarigu, West Sumba. In this program Ekivianus accompanied children and youth of churches in his village through Sunday school, Bible study and other activities for faith building. This mentoring program was conducted at Christian Church of Sumba and Bethel Church. This gave new enlightenment and understanding for both who have different denomination to engage together.
He revealed that the local church officials were driven to reactivate Sunday school and youth activities because they had been neglected them. The local community also agreed to pay attention more for children and youth and hoped that such positive activities could be continued to improve human resources in this village.
Naomi Mora Kalak, based on her study on Christian Religious Education at Theology College ‘Terpadu’ (STT)Waingapu, Naomiheld mentoring and reinforcement to youth in Lairandang, a branch of GKS Kakaha, Ngadu Ngala, south east of East Sumba district.
She was so surprised and amazed by the reception and appreciation of the local people who seemed so enthusiastic and motivated, because rarely students who were on vacation doing various useful activities and involving them, such as teaching Sunday School children, youth church support and home bible study. They hoped that activity duration can be extended so that children and young people in the church can learn many things and this program would be regularly held.
Sepritus Tangaru Mahamu, a young man from Laihobu village, Kananggar, East Sumba who study at PDD Animal Husbandry academy, East Sumba. His village is located in a remote area so he has to pass steep roads to get there. Sep, his familiar name, returned to his hometown to motivate students at Laihobu Elementary School. Although in remote areas, they should not be isolated but try hard to continue their study to Waingapu.
This school has 128 students from grade 1-6, but it has only four teachers so that one teacher teaches two classes at the same time with limited teaching facilities. He brought books and stationery to inspire students to learn. Sep with local people also held local potency mapping of the village and found potential crops such as coffee, betel and betel nut.
Yupiter Tanga Tawul, he is known as a student activist at Wirawacana Christian University of Sumba, coming from Tanarara village, Lewa, East Sumba. Yupiter has skills to make nutrients and vitamins for livestock so Stube-HEMAT Sumba encouraged him to provide training for people in his village to make vitamin supplements for cattle, pigs, buffaloes, goats and chickens. The ingredients of vitamin supplementation are made from banana buds and sugar water.
Even though his training took only in short period, they enthusiastically learned to mix these ingredients into nutrients and vitamins for livestock. Currently they have been able to make their own and even the local village government will hold similar assistance with him.
Onira Tenggu Nalu, a student at Theology college of GKS from Umamanu village, Lewa Tidas, East Sumba became a participant of ViMi program to facilitate children in Sunday school and youth Bible study at Maringu kotak, a branch of GKS Umamanu.
Through mentoring and faith building on Sunday school and church youth, she hoped to be able to motivate them to grow spiritually and actively in church activities. Dealing with book distribution for children, she wanted to foster interest in reading and knowledge among children in her village. The local people enthusiastically supported Onira's activities and gave her opportunity to develop activities according to her creativity and hoped the activities can be sustainable.
Nia Epa Hoy, a student activist at Wirawacana Christian University of Sumba, is eager to join ViMi-Village & Me program. Personally Nia has skills to make organic liquid and solid fertilizers and organic pesticides. Both skills pushed her back to her hometown of Pepuwatu village, Nggaha Ori Angu subdistrict to provide training of making organic fertilizers and pesticides to local people.
The people of Pepuwatu enthusiastically followed each step of making organic fertilizers and pesticides facilitated by her. Now they have additional skills of making organic fertilizers and pesticides. Personally Nia was pleased to be able to share her skills and they responded well.
Blessed is the one who comes with the good news. Every person's knowledge and experience will be valuable when it isshared and able to improve the life of village community. Stube-HEMAT Sumba opens opportunity for students to return to their village through ViMi-Village & Me program. So, start to think from now what will be shared for the people in your village. (TRU).
Not Just Theory, but Action!
Monday, 4 December 2017by adminstube
The words above are appropriately pinned to Marthen Rangga Mbani, a young man from Wudi Pandak, Tabundung district, East Sumba. Equipped by knowledge and experience of learning about chickens in Yogyakarta, he has raised chickens in his house. Not only that, he also cultivates his house yards to plant crops.
Initially, in July 2016 he and two students from Stube HEMAT Sumba got opportunity to study in Yogyakarta as participants of Exposure to Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta because he had actively participated in Stube-HEMAT Sumba trainings. He chose chicken poultry as his learning focus in Yogyakarta because he breeds chicken in his house, Mboka, Kanatang, East Sumba. He hoped that the knowledge and skills got in Yogyakarta could help him to manage chickens at home, so he can sell with a better price and the profit will be used to pay his school fees at STT Terpadu, Waingapu.
In Yogyakarta, beside studying about Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta and how to breedchicken, Marthen also learned integrated agriculture in Joglo Tani at SlemanRegency under the guidance of TO Suprapto, an experienced agricultural practitioner. He practiced management of integrated agriculture, the role of livestock in agriculture and assembling safe and healthy chicken coops.
His learning process was continued to Temon, Kulonprogo to learn how toraise chicken with Gendut Minarto, a chicken breederhaving wide networks. He learned some steps of raising chicken that starts from preparing cages, feeds, vaccines and hen coop heater, sterilizing the cages, vaccinating chicks and feeding chickens, classifying chickensready for sale based on size and weight.
Upon his return to Sumba, he started raising chickens in his village in Tabundung, butit failed because all chickens died of sickness and season change. He did not give up. He moved his hen coops to Mboka, Kanatang, where he lived temporarily for college. One year after his efforts of raising chickens, he managed to maintain the chicken and sell 10-12 chicken per month.
Besides doing chickens, along with rainy season in Sumba, Marthen cultivates his house yards in Mboka. This area is known as hilly, arid and rocky area. People say that it is impossible to grow corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts and other crops, but Marthen has faith that when soil is cultivated, it will yield. He cultivates the soil and adds organic manure made from animal dung, such as, pigs, chickens, goats and compost from twigs and leaves. He avoids chemical ones because it will damage the soil. He believes that a good effort will be blessed by Godbecause there is a willingness to do. Come on, not be just NATO (No Action Talk Only).
"I thanked to Stube-HEMAT who has given me training on raising chickens, so I have income from it, although it just a little butI can help my parents. I will continue this chicken business although I have limitationbecause I have to share time to study in campus. I try as well as I can, thank you Stube," he said.That’s right, young people, knowledge settledin the head will not be useful for others. Marthen has started with raising chicken and his experience is improving by utilizing his house yards for planting crops. Keep the spirit and be a blessing. (TRU).
