Three lighters for Sumba (participants’ reflection of Exposure Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta)
Sunday, 17 September 2017by adminstube
Appreciate Time
(Desri Kahi Mila Meha, STT Terpadu Waingapu)
Time is very important for everyone to do activity and work, and it is used as benchmark for some people to start their activities. But sometimes people ignore the preciousness of time, just take it paltry and still doing habit of ‘rubber-clock’ (delaying time).This habit is still practiced by many people in East Sumba, even in my community, unluckily it is inherent in me. My bad habit of delaying time wastes lots of things though it should be done. Another result of not managing time is causing many unfinished works.
The power of different Iris
(Erik Bidikonda Hawula, Unkriswina, Waingapu)
In life we realize that everything that exists on earth is inseparable from the color or characteristic that distinguish us, both biologically to thinking in our heads, whether the visible and invisible differences. The difference we have is certainly not our request but destiny that we cannot avoid.The differences that exist around us often trigger disputes or conflicts for others that if not be handled carefully will get worse and even lead to bloodshed. Of course, it is not impossible to unite differences.
Why I was born from a certain ethnic, a certain race having culture that shape me with different thoughts and perspectives, should not be a humanitarian issue. Different thoughts and perspectives can be used to feel and watch the phenomenon or nature and objects around us. Sometimes we do not think that someone who has different thoughts and views can take benefits from useless things became economically valueable, such as craftsmen of recycle and rubbish such as glass wastes into beautiful mosaic, coconut shells with export quality products or even arid sand land into fertile agricultural land. The eyes iris as power to observe, and makea change that will not be possible to happen when we fail to see differences.Indonesia unites us among 1.300 ethnics, 1.158 local languages and various religions and local beliefs. this diversity of course can trigger conflict if we are unable to see the power of diversity. How do we see the power? Sure, with differenteyes iris.
The process of Exposure to Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta taught mehow to see everything that looks ordinary have dear value byaccepting and optimizing diversity.
The photo below showed when I attended a training on peace studies at Ngesti Laras inn, Kaliurang.
Peacemaker in conflict
(Marinus Mardi Ishak, STT GKS Lewa)
The conflicts in this country are not only related to humanitarian-religious issue but also humanitarian-ecological issue. Topics that I have learned in Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta were model of reality conflict in life, including 1. Interfaith Dialogue, 2. Farming on sand banks, 3. Livestock Management, 4. Peace Studies: Conflict Management and Conflict Resolution, and 5. Waste Recycling. All these activities were part of conflict resolutions offered to each of us to act as peacemaker.
Obviously, we see the reality, but unconsciously we are in the middle of conflict. The question is, what we should do? Inevitably this is the responsibility of every one to manage and provide resolution of conflict. Of course we are not the trigger of the conflicts, but we got the effects of them. That is the reason why we have to act, as the idiom ‘If not us, whowill be, and if not now, when will be’. This idiom motivatesme to be a good mediator in analyzing and mediating conflicts.
Peacemaker is not only thinking and analyzing but also actingsynergically with interfaith, ethnic and race network from Sabang to Merauke and not be interfered by personal conflict. This responsibility should start from myself. I was so grateful for the opportunity to attend many activities in Exposure Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, as well as to know Stube team and friends in Yogyakarta. The experience and knowledge I gained will be shared to my friends in Stube-HEMAT Sumba.Thank you for the network linked with friends in Stube Germany.
Thinking of Village and Promoting Sumba
Monday, 4 September 2017by adminstube
Practicing to make nutritious feed for livestock
with people in Tanarara
(Participant’s Activity of Village and Me Program)
Tanarara is one of the villages in Lewa District of East-Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, who has an area of ??35.50 km2. Lewa district is located on 60 km away to the west of Waingapu which is known as a rice granary in East Sumba because of the biggest rice production compared to other districts in East Sumba. Most of the villagers of Tanarara are farmers and ranchers. The agricultural products are rice, corn and some cassava and sweet potatoes. While the cattle that often found in this village are cows, pigs, buffalo, goats and chickens. Agricultural and livestock products become an economic commodity of the households in Tanarara village, so it needs good management in order to achieve good results. This is which encouraged Yupiter Tanga Tawul, an indigenous youth of Tanarara village, who was studying Economic Development Studies in Wira Wacana Christian University to follow "Village & Me".
"Village & Me" is a support program for students to conduct useful activities for village communities where the participants come from. Besides being active at campus, Yupiter also participated in several trainings held by Stube-HEMAT Sumba, one of the trainings was Local Food Diversity in GKS Kawangu. Yupiter was interested in this program and proposed activities for farmers in the form of assisting how to make nutritious supplement for cattle, pigs, buffalo, goats and chickens. The ingredients of vitamin supplementation are made from banana flower and sugar water. Banana flower is smoothly cut up and pounded, and then it is added with sugar water. This mixture is inserted in a bucket and then covered by plastic till it is airtight and left overnight to go under fermentation. Then the mixture is filtered as fermented water and then it is used as an additional vitamin nutrient.
Yupiter was pleased that there was no difficulty in implementing the program taking place on 8-9 July, 2017. The villagers were enthusiastic to follow this training as it was easier for them to learn how to make their own livestock nutrition. The villagers of Tanarara were grateful and they appreciated Stube-HEMAT Sumba team that giving such program service to Tanarara villagers.
Yupiter conveyed, "This program is very important for students in Sumba, because the program encourages students to share their knowledge and experience that they got from campus, churches, organizations and social communities. Willingness to sharing and receiving should happen continuously. Young people in Sumba should think about their village and apply their knowledge that they have learned".Young people today must have a fighting spirit, sense of solidarity through sharing skills, and knowledge for the advancement of villager’s life as the foundation of this nation. (Meliani Retang).