By: Kresensia Risna Efrieno.
Humans are social beings who cannot be separated from social reality. Many social phenomena occur in society, such as problems related to education, poverty, social inequality, technology, economy, and so on. From this reality what should we do? Will sensitivity and social awareness grow by themselves? Awareness of this social issue or reality needs to be continuously sprouted and honed, to trigger awareness of the reality.
Along with the hope for the realization of humanity awareness, especially among young people, Stube HEMAT provided a mentoring space for students of SMPK Tirta Marta, BPK Penabur Pondok Indah, Jakarta through Social Studies 2022 with the theme "I and My Human Fellows–We Care We Share". This Social Study activity is part of the concern of Tirta Marta Foundation-BPK Penabur, Pondok Indah Jakarta, to sharpen the sensitivity of students about the reality around them, to bear young generation who knows what to do to respond the life problems. The pandemic conditions did not block the learning process, as the activities took place online for 3 days, where Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta facilitated them for two days, on the 2nd and 3rd February 2022.
The first day (2/2/2022) was the beginning for students to get to know Stube HEMAT and Ariani Narwastujati, S.Pd., S.S., M.Pd., the Executive Director of Stube HEMAT explained about Stube HEMAT and its services to develop human resources in some regions in Indonesia. Ariani showed a video depicting the previous social studies to help students find out the last-8-years social study activities and a video showing the life realities in Raja Ampat, West Papua of which the quality of education and facilities still needs support.
To strengthen personal touch with students, the school divided the students into 7 small groups with one facilitator from Stube HEMAT teams each. In small groups of 9-10 students, the Stube HEMAT team guided students to explore their personalities through a 'quiz game'. The students looked very enthusiastic when they knew their characters, such as a good person, a smart person, a confident person, a funny person, and an independent person. Some claimed to be matched with the result but some are not. This process led them to have self-awareness that they are so worth in persons and may do something useful for others in response to the difficulties of others that occur around them.
On the second day (3/2/2022) the first session was delivered by Trustha Rembaka, S.Th., by showing a video of the lives of junior high school students on Sumba Island who experienced limited educational facilities. They went to school on foot, climbed up the hills to get internet connection while studying online, studied at night with oil lamps because of no electricity, looked for firewood for cooking and also in charge to raise family livestock. In this section, students learned to uncover problems and gaps experienced by peers in other parts of Indonesia. Then in the second session, Kresensia Risna Efrieno accompanied the students to watch a video telling about the life struggle of Sudarmono, a person with disability due to a work accident. He did not give up due to his condition but struggled to continue his life instead. He and his wife started a peanut chips business and it has grown till today.
From these series of lessons, the students reflect and determine their attitude, and what they can do as the expression of caring for others, which is then comes into a group project planning. The activity of Social Study is not just to raise awareness or sensitivity toward social realities, but also to act as a realization of that awareness. Are we aware of the social reality around us? Let's open our eyes, open our hearts and determine the steps to act and share.***