Children, Next Generation As National Asset Village and Me Program
Friday, 31 August 2018by adminstube
Children are human beings or individuals having various inner potencies that need to be developed in their lives. They are also next generation of leadership for this nation, therefore, they need to be trained and guided to develop their ideas. The understanding on how valuable a child is not yet fully understood by every parents.
One of the social problems that occurred in Rakawatu village, my home village, is the lack of concern of parents to children's education. This situation does not support children's intellectual development as the next generation of Sumba as well as this nation. They should get chance and strong support from their parents for proper and good education. This is a challenge for me from Rakawatu to do something useful for the children in my village during college breaks. Finally, I encouraged myself to propose as participant in ‘Village and Me’ program, one of Stube-HEMAT Sumba programs.
Stube-HEMAT Sumba is a youth and student mentoring institution in Sumba that concern in building awareness to understand the surroundings problems. ‘Village & Me’ program provided opportunities for young people and students to develop themselves and understand social issues around them by sending students back to their villages to carry out activities that benefit for the community.
After several meetings and discussions with Stube-HEMAT Sumba team about the program, finally on August 1, 2018, Stube-HEMAT Sumba sent me to Sumba Christian Church (GKS) of Rakawatu, Lewa to carry out activities for children in my village. I wanted to share and learn with Sunday school children at GKS Rakawatu.
I designed an activity that can be a media for children to express children's aspirations and self-actualization in arts, so that their ideas can be developed through their creativity. The activities were drawing, reading and colouring competitions. The drawing competition was attended by students of grade V-VI, the reading competition was attended by students of grade III-VI, and the colouring competition was followed by pre-school children to grade II.
As a Biology student, I also shared knowledge on how to make bokashi fertilizer and animal feed nutrition with farmers in my village. In addition to make it practical and simple, the ingredients used are available around the house. By having skills to make their own fertilizer, the farmers were expected to reduce cost of fertilizers, furthermore the fertilizers were also environmentally friendly organic fertilizer. Livestock is one of the family's incomes, so by increasing nutrition made from local ingredients such as bananas buds and palm sugar, the livestocks will be healthier and growing well, so that the selling price will also increase.
Rev. Benyamin Melip, S.Th, the local pastor appreciated this activity and said, "Through this activity the children may grow their confidence to participate in competitions, be self-support and have critical thinking, and next be more creative to develop their ideas."
Children are really individuals having various potencies and need guidance and assistance from their parents or adult through various positive activities. Even simple, these activities became media for children to develop their potencies and foster their learning motivation. (Naser Randa Hailu Poti).
*) Naser Randa Hailu Poti, Unkriswina student, Biology Education, live in Lewa Rakawatu, Lewa.
Blessed To Be A Blessing
Thursday, 30 August 2018by adminstube
My name is Sepritus Tangaru Mahamu, usually called by my friends “Sep”. I’m a college student of East Sumba State Community Academy, an off-domicile education under Agricultural Polytechnic of Kupang state polytechnic. The farming department has two study programs, that is, livestock production and animal health. The last is the one which I study.
This was the point where I start to know about Stube HEMAT Sumba, an organization which has a vision to have social awareness among people, especially for college students and youths. From this activity, I quoted what Trustha Rembaka, coordinator of Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta said, “Now, it is the time to start a step to realize your ideas and be an independent youth” that encouraged me to step a head which affects what happens in Sumba then.
Here is where my curiosity to know more began, even I became in love with Stube HEMAT Sumba. Since then I didn’t want to miss any programs held by Stube HEMAT Sumba. One of them was the journalistic training held on June 2017. It was the first time in Indonesians’ history that people celebrated the day when Pancasila was born in accordance to President Decree No. 24, 2017. It was in a training session delivered by Oskar Shaja, the curator of Waingapu.com, I managed to create my first article entitled “Celebrations with Garuda label” which was published in Waingapu.com. My first article was very momentous for me because it also motivated me to produce more articles. It was beyond logic that there’s a strong push within me to share my knowledge that brought me to be a journalist at Suara Jarmas - a local newspaper for teenagers and youths. For the first move, I cooperated with Pandawai 1st Senior High School and made a journalistic training for senior high school in August 2017 through Ana Tana community. I personally established this community to be a place for Pandawai youths and teenagers to channel their creativity and talents.
Besides that, I also had another program in Stube HEMAT Sumba, which was the most memorable for me, that is, when I was given a chance to be a blessing for my village in Laihobu, part of Paberiwai district through ‘Village and Me’ program on August 2017. There, I was literally sent to be a blessing for the village. I started the program by singing with the vocal group of Laihobu branch of GKS Kananggar, followed by playing along and sharing with toddlers and teachers. I did some activities by sharing, teaching, and at the end, I distributed stationaries to the students of Laihobu Primary School.
There’s still another great blessing for me to be a participant of Exposure to Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta program with Jufry Adipapa and Meliani Retang. This is truly God’s blessing that made me literally speechless. My task now is focusing on my studies and learning more knowledge in Yogyakarta to be applied and shared in Sumba.
“Today, you’re truly blessed through Stube HEMAT activities; therefore you need to prove the ‘impact’ as the gratitude of blessing to bless others. You need to move from your old habits, and habituate on doing the right thing, not preserving the things you’re used to doing”, said Ariani Narwastujati, the executive director of Stube HEMAT in Indonesia.
I’m so certain that because I’m blessed, therefore I’m determined to be a blessing for others. (STM).
Sumba, Its Youth and Yogyakarta
Wednesday, 29 August 2018by adminstube
Each region has its own characteristics and potency that must be found by the residents of the region, that can be used as driving force for economy and development in the area. Of course, it should be supported by its human resource quality. If people in a potential region is unable to find, explore and develop the potencies and keep living in poverty, then the potencies will mean as a saying of chicken died in a rice barn.
Sumba, a small island with 11,153 km2 large has a lot of potencies, covering natural resources, native cultures, coastal tourism, beautiful hills and waterfalls, agriculture and many others. Poskupang.com reported that Sumba island has just been released as one of the 33 most beautiful islands by Focus magazine, Germany (Focus 17. February 2018, page 116). Focus Magazine, one of the leading weekly magazines in Germany, published an article with a title ‘Sumba Kein Tanz, aber ein Traum’ which means “Sumba, Not a Name of a Dance, but a Dream”, describing how beautiful the island is. In addition, the island also has the best and most expensive hotel in the world, the Nihiwatu hotel in West Sumba.
These all illustrate that Sumba is actually rich in potencies. It is a pity that the potencies are in the contrary with the reality of the people who are still poor. Based on the statistic data states 2015-2017, the average poverty rate in Sumba is still above 30%. It shows much disparity gap which is reaching 21% of the average poverty rate in Indonesia which isonly 9%. Considering this situation, it is necessary to conduct learning methods in developed areas, such as inYogyakarta. Further, Stube HEMAT Sumba sends some activists to study in Yogyakarta through exposure program to Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta.
The program of Exposure Yogyakarta is a program that aims to develop the capacity of young people from Sumba through soft-skills assistance that is expected to create independence and ability among them, so they can manage their potencies. The program is set as annual program that has been routinely carried out since 2010.
In 2018, Stube-HEMAT Sumba sent three students as participants of Exposure Yogyakarta, namely Jufri Adi Papa, a student of Wirawacana Christian University and a member of Stube HEMAT Sumba team, who will learn secretarial and integrated farming;Sepritus Tangaru Mahamu, a student of Kupang State Politani PDD of East Sumba, who will learn journalism and animal husbandry; and Meliani Retang, STT GKS Lewa student, who will learn more about local food processing and integrated farming. Approximately 1 month in Yogyakarta, they will learn and practice through every activity they are involved in, starting from August 24 to September 20, 2018.
Have a good process in Yogyakarta! (JUF).
Before Leaving Sumba
Monday, 27 August 2018by adminstube
Leaving Sumba for the first time and being abroad for almost a full month isn’t an easy thing, especially for families that will let their child go. That is also what I’m able to perceive through my mother’s glare, a little panic when I said that I’m going to Java. Usually, I only said to my mother that I’m going to my friend’s place in the nearby district. After understanding my departure, my mother reminds me to do a ritual for those who want to leave Sumba for the first time. I have to ask for permission and approval from my deceased father. This ritual is named Wangu Uhu Mameti (feeding the spirit) and Wuangu Pahappa (giving Paan to the spirit) and also, Parmihi la Mameti (asking permission and protection from the spirit) which then I actualized in my prayer by lighting a candle on my father’s gravestone. It is the Marapu culture we have in Sumba and that’s also what my mother meant even when we’re already Christians, Marapu customs is stil within our life.
Marapu, the traditional belief of Sumba people, believes that God takes shape of Mabakulu Wuamata Mabalaru Rukahilu (having big eyes and wide ears) meaning He hears all and sees all. Marapu believes that every deceased person can communicate with, listen, and protect their beloved ones. Due to the change of times, this belief has been eroded, where nowadays the majority of Sumba people have embraced their own religion. However, Marapu is still preserved and believed by the majority of Sumba people, especially after the Indonesian government recognized the existence of local religions, including Marapu.
Yogyakarta exposure participants will learn for about 28 days in Yogyakarta, from 24th of August to the 20th of September 2018. Certainly, it’s not something short, you need to be well-prepared and have permission from your parents, especially for those who will leave Sumba for the first time. After an overnight stay at Stube-HEMAT Sumba secretariat, I and my friends departed to Yogya in the next morning. Now it’s time to learn in Yogya in order to return with a full shelf of knowledge useful for me and others. (STM)