Sumba: Adventure and Longing   Participant’s Reflection on Exploring Sumba Program   (Susana Ulandari)

Thursday, 28 November 2019
by adminstube

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 was the first time I set my foot on Sumba island, one of the islands in eastern Indonesia. I remembered one day before, I was so excited about traveling by a minibus from Yogyakarta to Surabaya and by plane from Surabaya to Waingapu. Along the way I was full of curiosity about new experiences that I would find there. After nearly three hours flight from Surabaya via Denpasar, the airplane began to have lower altitude and finally landed at Umbu Mehang Kunda airport in Waingapu. From the plane’s window, a view like Africa scenery that I saw only on television, now I could see by my own eyes. "Wow, amazing" a whisper in admiration came out of my mouth when I saw the endless hills and savanna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Waingapu I stayed in Apriyanto Hangga’s family, one of Stube-HEMAT Sumba team, who provided information about Sumba and the village in where I would live for few weeks. Arriving in Tanaraing, I accepted warm welcome from the family of Rev. Katrina Remihau, the pastor of Church of Sumba in Tanaraing. The next day I attended Sunday service with local church members who welcomed me warmly even though I came as a stranger. The church youths also welcomed me well, introduced ourselves, chatted, joked and took pictures at the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following days I did activities with local community and youth related with the topic 'Peer Counselors'. Being a peer counselor is not easy because there must be a mutual trust. During the program I always found something new and fun in every meeting. One time I did not understand what they were talking about but they said everything that was said was good about me. So, I tried to learn that I also had to trust others and in my opinion to trust others was not wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Peer Counselors' is very important to understand among teenagers so that they can pay attention to each other. When they are open with each other, they can manage their problems better, because they get input from their friends. In addition, they will be able to re-embrace church youths who previously rarely went to church to be active again in church environment, or teens who rarely talk in family want to commit pay more attention to their own families. Entrepreneurship activities formerly were not included in my plan but I suggested these when the church youth plan to raise youth funds and they could do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For me, being in Sumba and living with the community are like a journey to find myself and life, to find myself exploring, to meet lots of people, to share stories and to laugh together. During my journey in Sumba, I felt sense of ‘Longing’ that always follows, sense of longing to the atmosphere of my home in West Kalimantan, the moment of having jokes with family members, having my mom's meals, massaging my dad, playing with my nephew and even fighting with my brothers. They are important people in my life and I want them to be happy as I feel. I hope that the feeling of togetherness and attention through 'peer counselor' will have impact to young people in Sumba, especially Tanaraing.

 

 

 

 


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Lembata Pangge Bale   (Lembata calls back)   Participant’s reflection on Local Exposure Program done by Mariano Lejap

Thursday, 21 November 2019
by adminstube
 

 

 

 

 

Coming home during campus break becomes ritual for students like me who go to Yogyakarta to study. When I went back to my hometown, I was usually easily affected by local atmosphere so that it seemed no changes in me. I just did similar activities in every campus break, such as going back to village to visit relatives or gathering with young friends.

 

 

 

 

 

But now, I have different vacation, as a participant of Local Exposure program of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, and a member of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta work team, I was challenged to do something different. My current vacation is a vacation plus, by giving contribution for my village by sharing computer knowledge I have learned in campus and it made me be closer to local community and know them better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, when I offered program to share my knowledge to the village officials, they had enthusiastic response, but they had difficulty to arrange the agenda of the training because various reasons, such as, having no free time because of village officials meeting, or doing their fields and family business. However, I did not give up. To reassure them, I kept in contact and suggested that the activities would be held at the nearest place, even though I had to travel further. Finally, computer training on Word, Excel and Powerpoint went well, even though only some of the village officials participated plus a midwife who took part in it.

 

 

 

Besides having computer training, I also intensely communicated with the community about the economic efforts done by the people using village natural resources, one of which was seaweed cultivation and swallow nests. From this dialogue I discovered new things about the potency of my village and the obstacles faced by the people to develop seaweed and swallow nests. It is normal because in reality the human resources in the village is very limited, but actually they have eagerness to learn.

 

 

 

As a student, I felt satisfied and proud when I had a chance to share my knowledge to village officials and they learned it enthusiastically. I started to realize and felt sad because many young people from my village who were studying in colleges, they did nothing during their home return in campus break. They did not use their time to transfer their knowledge to their community. Actually the village officials expected positive contribution from the students who study in different place to build their villages.

 

 

Hopefully my activities will be useful and the quality of village officials will be improved, especially to operate computers to serve the community and it will awake students’ awareness to serve the community through knowledge transfer for mutual development.


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Maintaining Tolerance in East Sumba   Participant’s reflection on Exploring Sumba program   (Mutiara Srikandi)  

Thursday, 14 November 2019
by adminstube

 

 

 

 

 

My name is Mutiara Srikandi from Bandung, West Java, studying in Department of Interior Design, Indonesian Art Institute in Yogya. I got a chance to go to Sumba as a participant of Exploring Sumba program carried out by Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta. This is the first time that a Moslem participant took part in the selection and was sent to Sumba. The Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta work team always make sure whether I am determined going to a place where many pigs and dogs are roaming. I always strengthen myself again "yes it's okay, I'm sure". ‘Lahaula’, there will always be a way for one who strives for goodness.

 

 

 

Before setting foot on Sumba, I had a lot of things to prepare and to consider about. From the aspects of environment, lifestyle, and religion that would be totally different from Java culture in general. After getting information about the place and environment to live there, I prepared mentally and physically to ensure myself so that I can run the program well.

 

 

 

 

That day eventually arrived. From the plane’s window, I saw the savanna expanse from the height. It caught my attention. I could not wait to set foot directly. I felt a weird maneuver of the aircraft when preparing to land at Umbu Mehang Kunda airport in Waingapu, perhaps it was caused by the airport location that is between hills. Finally, the adventure in Sumba started.

 

 

 

In Sumba I stayed at Elisabeth Uru Ndaya’ house, one of the activists of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta who had returned home, in Karunggu village, Nggaha Ori Angu district (Nggoa), East Sumba. Staying in a traditional Sumba house was a memorable experience because when I arrived the temperature was freezing, so we had to use a four-layers blanket, but I liked it. A woman who was familiarly called 'mama Domi' was always carefully asking about the menu for me. She was hesitant to prepare corn rice because she was afraid I did not like it. She told me that when she cooked she separated cooking utensils away from animals, because dogs and pigs roamed around the house, even she explained in detail to convince me that the food served was prepared based on Islamic law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a new person in this village, of course, my presence caught attention the people around because of my innocent behavior and questions that made them laugh and tell to their other families. Even though I am a Moslem, I did not feel isolated but they accepted me well and openly instead. Even when I was going to pray they sincerely fetched water for me even though the area was lack of water actually. I also came to church to introduce myself and program activity while in Sumba. Being known by the people formally in the church was an important part because the church plays role in the surrounding environment in the life of the community and the church can touch the lives of the community holistically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several times I attended traditional event of Sidhi (Christian confession), Belis (dowry) and other family events, and I found something unique about nose-kissing, by touching nose tip to other as expression of welcome and kinship. Further, at least five times I cut chicken in Islamic law, because they respected me as a Moslem at the event. Having meals and mingling with them in a meal looked so contrast when I ate chicken alone in the midst of people eating pork. At first people were hesitant, "Miss, is it okay for us to eat pork?" Asked one man who was hesitant to eat his meals. "It's okay, let's eat please," I replied, smiling at him. We had meals together deliciously, accepting the differences and respecting each other. They respected me for eating chicken alone, they did not let a drop of pork broth touch my plate. They looked after me well and I appreciated it, what a beautiful exchange that I saw in real.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sundays, I stayed at home to wait for my family coming home from church, heard the church bells and felt the warm morning atmosphere. Every child who passed by say ‘good morning’ as a morning greeting and this recurred when people were passing by. They were very friendly, while glancing at me as a guest in the village. I loved to be in the midst of local people who were joyful even though they lived modesty. The warmth of family was so felt that made me jealous because I lived in a big city that has been more individualistic. Here, relatives worked together to send their relatives to school, and there was no worry about lacking of food because they could visit other family's homes. Another togetherness that I found was when the people sang along with the dances that easterners Indonesia used to do, each trying to harmonize the gestures into beautiful movements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The farewell really drained tears and my new family in Sumba thanked me for willing to accept their simple condition. I learned many things, in diversity I did not feel separated or alone, instead I had truly welcome and attention. Different cultures and religions do not become barrier but become a means of learning and building tolerance instead that enriches life experiences. May God keep us always in peace.

 

 

 

 


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