The Mentawai Islands Regency is located on the west coast of Sumatra which belongs to West Sumatra province. It was formed into a regency based on RI Law no. 49 of 1999 covering approximately 6.011,35 km2 in four main islands, namely Siberut Island, Sipora Island, North Pagai Island, and South Pagai Island.

The majority of the population of the Mentawai islands are indigenous Mentawai people and most of the population work as farmers, both rice field farmers and fruit farmers (coconut, durian, mango, mangosteen, rambutan, and so on). I come from the village of Matobe, one of the best fruit producers in the Mentawai Islands Regency. Matobe village has a nickname as ‘king of fruit village’ because of its various kinds of fruit products every year, namely durian, mangosteen, and rambutan.

There is one plant that never runs out of its friuts, namely coconut. Coconut is one of the people's income to improve their living standard. However, the people only use the coconut meat and shell to be sold, while the coconut fiber is only burned or thrown away. The local people do not know that coconut fiber can be their alternative income.

Coconut fiber has benefits, such as having a strong structure to make them durable and long-lasting, if it is used as a craft, its brown color gives a natural color, and the coconut fiber is resistant to the effects of seawater. Coconut fiber can be processed into handmade doormats, floor brooms, plant pots, and decorations. Handicrafts from coconut fiber can generate money to support the community's economy.

Knowing that coconut coir is very useful for making interesting handicrafts, the author wants to invite the people in the village to process coconut fiber into various crafts which they can sell for income. The challenge is how to convince people to ‘plunge into’ this craft and how to market their products. The income from coconut processing can be more than what people think. This is the first step for students to get to know the potencies of an area and to process the potencies into useful products for the sake of the local community. ***

I had a series of experiences in Yogyakarta with Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta thatchanged me because I found new knowledge and enthusiasm when I metand learned something with new people. I am Tommy Helfiger Sakoikoi, from Stube HEMAT Bengkulu who had the opportunity to have study visit in Yogyakarta. I am grateful because all of this is only God's grace. During a few days in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, I learned with the Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta team to become a creative and independent young man. This was the first time I study in Yogyakarta with Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta.

I learned several things, namely, (1) the importance of protecting the environment from garbage because if garbage is left unmanaged it causes social problems and harms the community. We, as a society, must care about the environment by protecting and caring for nature. One way is to sort non-organic waste and sell it or process it into interesting crafts that can make money; (2) a student does not need to ask his parents to pay tuition fees anymore, namely by starting his own business that generates money. This can be achieved if we have creative ideas, and skills and don't give up easily to do it; (3) the importance of students writing, because students have to compile scientific work in the form of theses and dissertations. Writing is an eternal work that is never forgotten because writing will continue to exist.

One of the other topics is Social Entrepreneurship where I get new things that open my horizons, especially about my hometown, Mentawai. This topic was presented by Trustha Rembaka, S.Th. Social Entrepreneurship trains young people and students to be able to see social problems that occur while at the same time they can find potencies from the problems that will generate profits to overcome the problems. The process of finding innovative solutions to existing social problems must involve the local community. Social Entrepreneurs adopt the mission of creating and preserving the values that exist in the social life of the local community. In the discussion, Trustha helped the participants to map social problems in the area and encouraged them to propose creative and innovative ideas to address social problems that young people are not proud to do so.

Social Entrepreneurship learning is more complete with study visits to the Nglanggeran Ancient Volcano area and the Nglanggeran Reservoir (Thursday, 15/12/2022). I and two other participants explored the beginnings of the Ancient Volcano area and the Nglanggeran Reservoir. Trustha Rembaka told that this place also started from social problem such as, limited employment opportunities, unemployment, logging, and drought. At that time, Sugeng Handoko, S.T., together with a local youth organization began to move to manage the area as a camping site, planting fruit trees and gradually involving community groups according to their potential. They do some profitable activities covering tour guides, food providers, homestays, chocolate cultivation and processing, goat farming and processing milk, and artevents. The government and the private sector have finally helped the development of the region and promoted it to have the international level.

Thank you Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta for being a place to develop and explore my knowledge and skills as a student. Hopefully, in the future, I will be able to process together and empower myself to be useful for society. ***

As a common concern over global warming of the increasing temperature of the earth reaching 1,150 in 2022, it is very relevant to have a discussion and sharing with topic of Energy and Environment: Responsible Consumption and Production with students who join Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu (Sunday, 20/11/2022). Related to problems in Bengkulu, a topic on 'Efficient Natural Resource Management in the city of Bengkulu' was chosen as a sub-theme with Iman Kristina Halawa, M.Th, a lecturer at the Arastamar Bengkulu Theological College (STTAB) as the resource person.

By collecting various questions that swirl in the participants’ minds related to the topic and sub-theme above, Iman Kristina explored their curiosity about the topic. Their questions included: 1) How far is the government's role in efficient natural resource management? 2) What are the causes of landslides and floods that occurred in Bengkulu? 3) Why is the government blamed for every loss due to a disaster – is it all government's fault? 4) How is the strategy dealing with floods in Bengkulu? 5) Roads were flooded even in low-intensity rain. This situation impacts the community. Who should be responsible for it, the government or the residents?

Departing from these questions, she tried to untangle the problems. Good management of natural resources will bring a good impact on the sustainability of the life and growth of the community economy. One effort is managing natural resources by maintaining forest sustainability and reforesting the bare forests due to illegal logging. Environmental problems occur as a result of irresponsible human activity itself. The use of natural resources will lead to changes in the ecosystem and the sustainability of the natural resources themselves.

Utilization of natural resources that exceeds the carrying capacity of the land and without regard to environmental sustainability will trigger erosion and landslides, which frequently happen recently and causes silting of rivers and disruption of the hydrological system of the Watershed (DAS).

Forest burning impacts to land degradation, destroys animal habitats, reduces biodiversity, eliminates soil fertility, damages the hydrological cycle, and causes global warming. The practice of shifting field increases the threat of forest destruction because people neglect the correct rules to preserve forests and to carry out replanting in the fields (Marison Guciano, 2009).

The explanation continued during the discussion regarding the condition of the forest which was starting to be damaged, especially in Bengkulu. This condition is very concerning because it affects climate change. One of the consequences of the current climate change is more frequently raining in Bengkulu which lead to landslides, while the floods damage public facilities, and residents' houses and disrupt economic growth. It needs hard work and awareness of the government and residents to manage natural resources efficiently for  human to survive. ***

Hearing the word technology, what comes to our minds is the technological devices we use, such as cell phones, television, computer, tabs, and other devices. Technology has a broad definition, from Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), 'technology' means the scientific method to achieve practical goals, applied science, or all the means to provide goods needed for the continuity and comfort of human life. From this definition, technology is a tool used by humans to facilitate their activities.

Human life cannot be separated from technology, so Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu chose the theme "Education in an Advanced Technology Era: No One Left Behind" for the October-December 2022 period. The activity took place in Arga Indah II village, Central Bengkulu (23 /10/2022). Huanius, the trainer, works at a big smartphone company in Indonesia. As a trainer in their companies, he has experiences regarding the role of technology, and the positive and negative impacts of technology and explain how to use smartphones as educational media.

In the opening, Huanius revealed the fantastic number of smartphone sales in Bengkulu province, which showed the vast number of smartphone users. The smartphone is seen as a technology and information tool that people need in this era because human activities require a smartphone. Smartphones give a positive impact to the user by simplifying communication through social media, showing talent, sharing knowledge, expressing opinions, gaining knowledge, doing assignments, and others. However, it brings negative impacts if misused, such as expressing bullying opinions, mis-democracy, disorder time management, watching violent videos that damage mentality, dealing with illegal drugs, and so on. The source person emphasized the participants to be wise youths by committing not to abuse their smartphones because of the bad impact that damage their character and future.

Then, Huanius explained the benefits of applications on smartphones as educational media. It brought a new experience for participants by inviting them to play games on smartphones by answering general questions, Bengkulu regional arts, geographical knowledge, biology, mathematics, English, inventors, puzzles, and other school subjects. In this game, Huanius played as a host and participants must answer 20 questions. The activity made some fun when they answered the questions according to the allocated time. The atmosphere is full of laughter and joy, but it became noisy when some of the participants could not answer questions because of the unstable signal. But it was still a lot of fun.

Hopefully, the next activity can be more interesting because it is directly related to the condition of the Central Bengkulu regency. Young people, let us be more advanced and wiser with technology! ***

Stube-HEMAT is a youth assistance program for students to build awareness toward problems around them, intellect, and skills so that they were motivated to develop their respective regions.

Yedija Manullang, an activist of Stube HEMAT Bengkulu spoke in front of 60 new students of Health College of Kesehatan Baru in Doloksanggul at New Student Admissions Week (PPKMB) 2022 (Monday, 05/09/2022). He conveyed a topic aboutthe ‘Student Creativity and Innovation Program.’ In his presentation, Yedija emphasized that students must have creativity and innovation because students play significant roles in the past, present, and future. "In historical records, students and youth have played a role that should not be forgotten since 1908, the formation of Boedi Oetomo that every year we commemorate as the National Awakening Day, until 1998 of the reformation period when students also had a big role in overthrowing the new order," he said.

Furthermore, Yedija explained the role of students in the past that could not be underestimated. Students should prove as agents of change and control, especially in facing the industrial revolution, demographic bonus, and Indonesia Gold 2045.

"We have explored the Industrial Revolution, and in the future, we face the demographic bonus and Indonesia Gold 2045 with many more complex challenges. Let us imagine if students as agents of change and control do not have creativity and innovation, can we answer that challenge? Moreover, we are no longer competing with fellows from Indonesia or people from abroad but with robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)," explained Yedija.

As a solution, Yedija said that we must be prepared and continue to sharpen creativity and innovation by increasing literacy and joining organizations. The world has changed a lot, science is advancing, and technology is developing. We are responsible for self and intellectual development. Do not want to be left behind in the era of advanced technology!

“Improving literacy is one simple step that can be started by all of us, now we have to customize a culture of reading, writing, and discussing. However, it is not enough, we also have to join organizations that support creativity and innovation, because through organization one be equipped with leadership, social skills, networking, collaboration, and many more," added Yedija.

To foster Student Creativity and Innovation, Yedija introduced Stube HEMAT, an institution that was established in 1993 in Yogyakarta with 8 alumni multiplication distribution points in Indonesia including Yogyakarta, Sumba, Bengkulu, Alor, Raja Ampat, and Lampung.

“Stube HEMAT is an institution supported by the Diakonia of the Lutheran Church in Germany for foreign students studying there. This program then is brought to Indonesia with the hope that young people and students can use life efficiently, independently, analytically, and not easy to give up to achieve the aspired future, "explained Yedija.

Yedija also explained the meaning of the Stube-HEMAT logo taken from a story in the Bible about a pottery maker who works to form various containers: jars, cauldrons, and so on. "There are many benefits when participating in programs from Stube-HEMAT that support creativity, innovation to concern and awareness of problems around students and youth," he explained. Stube HEMAT programs implemented in Doloksanggul coversChurch Reformation Discussion, Interfaith Dialogue implemented by visiting the Catholic Church and Mosque in Doloksanggul, Youth and Health Challenges, Sustainable Villages, Democracy from Time to Time, and Protection of Children and Women, and Education in the Age of Advanced Technology.

The event was closed with the distribution of books to new students who were active during the presentation of the material, this was also Stube's support and commitment to keep improving literacy among students. ***

Weekly discussions for program preparation and review were held by Stube HEMAT Bengkulu at Polindes Bengkulu Tengah (Sunday, 31/07/2022). Reginiana Dosvia, an activist for Stube HEMAT Bengkulu, led the discussion and gathered the impressions, experiences, and benefits gained by the participants who followed the activities of the Multiplication of the Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu about Climate Change. Some of the participants expressed their experiences:

Jethah Hafizzah Alzahra, “I am from Central Bengkulu. I participated in Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu since 2021 with Regi as a companion. I learned various knowledge, and some have even been done into practice in the community, such as conducting coaching and discussions with children and women about child violence, making a volleyball team for a sustainable village, and proposing first aid kits in my village.” Jethah added, “I had an awesome experience when I have been learning from several Stube HEMAT speakers in Bengkulu, especially the topic of Climate Change in the last three months. I learned several things regarding the definition of climate, the impact of climate change, proper attitude in responding to climate change and its anticipation, practicing swimming, observing strawberry plantations, and talking with managers and the community to find out the impacts of climate change in plantation areas."

Yupita Anggarani, “Climate change causes natural disasters, for example, floods or flash floods. I am equipped to help myself and others when a disaster occurs.”

Frentia Embang Sari, “Climate change ignites extreme weather. It brings heavy rains or a long dry spell. From Stube activity, we can find out the weather changes and the education for the community, such as avoiding cutting down trees indiscriminately.”

Mosa Inderiani, “From the lesson given I learned an understanding to be wise in managing nature. Thank you, Stube HEMAT for providing material with an interesting theme because it gave me more insight. I hope this good activity will continue.”

Wini Prakusya, “The most interesting subject I learned was when I went to a strawberry plantation. There I gained much new knowledge on how to plant, observed the planting process, and got important information that in dry season strawberries can produce quality strawberries if handled properly with the required amount of water and fertilizer.”

Lela Susanti, “Climate change causes many natural disasters, such as floods. From this meeting, I gained new insight related to climate change and knew its positive and negative impacts. I am interested in cultivating strawberries based on the knowledge I gained there.”

Frengki Kurniawan, “As a person who was born in a rural area where many rivers flow through the area, I can automatically swim. I feel lucky to take part in the climate change program because I learned proper swimming skills, and got an opportunity to practice a simulation on saving drowning people. I was trained by professional divers and trainers provided by Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu. ”

The following program is Education and Energy which can be followed in the period of July-December 2022. Enjoy the process. ***

Climate Change refers to changes in temperature and weather patterns over the long term. Actually, this shift is natural and it has been going on since the 1800s. The human activity becomes the main factor of climate change, especially the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, which produce the greenhouse effect.

The cases of extreme weather in some places due to climate change made us from Stube-HEMAT in Central Bengkulu interested to learn more about the impact of climate change on agricultural areas. On Sunday, June 5, 2022, we visited a strawberry plantation at Family Garden Strawberry in Simpang Nangka Karang Jaya Village, Kec. Selupu Rejang, Rejang Lebong Regency. The journey took 4 hours from the departure point, Arga Indah 2, Merigi Sakti district, Central Bengkulu. The view of the hills, protected forests, and the Bengkulu indigenous stilts houses were easily found during the trip.

At the farm, the interview with local farmers and the owner of the plantation business became an interesting activity. Meli, one of the plantation managers conveyed some important information, such as strawberry plants need cool weather, the air temperature is around 22-25 C. Strawberry plantations need humidity for the fertilization process.

Related to climate change, we asked if climate change occurs, what should farmers do to keep their strawberries growing? Strawberry plants need humidity from the local air temperature, but if there is a change in climate with hot temperatures, they should be watered frequently. However, it should keep the soil media not too wet (muddy), because it slows down the growth process and makes the fruit rot. Then, put the plants in a shady place to avoid direct sunlight exposure during the day.

The owner of the plantation has experienced a loss due to hot weather, such as the strawberry leaves drying up, and not producing fruit optimally. Through well watering, the plants can be saved. It means, that during the dry season, this plant can still produce fruits as long as the watering and soil moisture are well-maintained. Even in the dry season, the strawberry can produce fruits bigger and sweeter than in the rainy season which causes the fruit rotten and small.

The exposure produces several insights, such as climate change can happen anywhere and harm humans, however, with the right education and learning from experience, humans can anticipate the changes, including reducing the risk of loss from the business they do. This situation pushes the farmer’s creativity in adapting as above.

Climate change cannot be avoided and we all have to be ready for it. The self-readiness can be obtained by increasing information about efforts to prevent negative impacts and implementing them in daily life, such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions by minimizing the use of private vehicles, avoiding burning trash, doing reforestation, saving electrical energy, using goods with recyclable materials, etc. Let's work together to minimize the negative impacts of climate change. (RD) ***

The Stube HEMAT activity in Bengkulu became a means to provide information for youth in the Central Bengkulu region. The topic learned on May 15, 2022, in Arga Indah 2 village, Merigi Sakti district, Central Bengkulu Regency was climate change. It is an interesting topic but sometimes neglected, even though it is a significant lesson to know.

Climate is the habit and character of weather that occurs in a place or area. The period as the reference for determining the average climate is 30 years. The elements that make up climate are the same as weather. The formation of climate in a place is influenced by the location of latitude, slope, altitude, distance from the waters, and conditions of seawater currents. Each region has a different climate. Almost all land areas face more hot days and heat waves. The year 2020 was identified as one of the hottest years on record. The higher temperatures can increase heat-related illnesses and make people more difficult to work and be active. Forest fires easily occur and spread faster when conditions are hotter.

Climate change causes adverse effects, such as warming the earth's temperature. From the presentation, discussions related to global warming and how to anticipate climate change are very important among students and young people. From the results of the discussion, we conclude that global warming caused by climate change can be anticipated by stopping the logging of the forests, planting trees, using environmentally friendly products in daily life, and reducing activities that cause the greenhouse effects.

The government should also initiate a role by issuing policies such as the use of alternative energy in daily life which is considered safe for the atmosphere and does not cause excessive pollution. For example, the use of gas fuel in motor vehicles. Currently, many public vehicles use gas fuel.

The discussion provided a new experience for young people in Central Bengkulu in the future who can take a more role in anticipating climate change. Some simple examples to do are to protect the forests we have, not to cut down trees carelessly, and to green the area.***

In addition to gain knowledge, studying activity is also finding good values ​​in each topic learned. The essence of learning is the process of changing the mindset. But does the process end there? The learning process by experiencing it directly will have a deeper impact because, in addition to learning the theory cognitively, a person also feels what is part of the learning process. A pilot, not only knows the theory of flight but also gets into the plane cockpit and flies it.

This kind of learning process, I found at Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta, a Human Resources development institution, especially students in Yogyakarta, I did not even find on campus or in my lectures. Stube HEMAT provides a space for students to discover new knowledge and experiences, for example, theological students get the opportunity to study health, or students majoring in Government Sciences get additional provisions on how to manage the environment for human survival.

I am a Communication Science student from Manggarai, NTT province, who had a valuable opportunity to share material on mapping and disaster management for students of the Arastamar Theological College Bengkulu during the training in Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu on Climate Change and Survival (Saturday, 9/4/2022). On one hand, I shared what I have learned at Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta, on the other hand, I practiced communication. For Theology students, the topic of disaster is a new thing, but it is important to recognize and to map the potential for disasters that can occur. Moreover, later these students will become servants of the people. Most say that oneself is an example for others. I also witnessed the discipline of STTAB students in maintaining the cleanliness of their dormitories, they were close and harmonious each other, even though they came from different regions.

I also learned about Bengkulu, a historic city known as the exile city for Bung Karno (the first president of the Republic of Indonesia), and has a tourist destination of Marlborough fort and Panjang beach with its black sand. Even though the weather is hot and dry, this beach has a beautiful sunset. Bengkulu can not be separated from social issues happened. It was revealed in a dialogue with several students from the State University of Bengkulu about young marriages, pregnancy before marriage, and even victims of cheating that occurred in their village. This phenomenon often occurs and it is starting to be considered normal by the community. The discussion brings  ideas on how the community and stakeholders should act and what students can do to respond to the realities, although it is acknowledged that it is not easy to make the local community aware.

Hopefully, through the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu, the young people and students in Bengkulu will find enlightenment and breakthroughs to realize in the reality around them and be able to formulate what they must do to bring about good change.

Yes, this journey is part of learning, where learning is the process of discovering something new and becoming an experience. Similar to the trip to Bengkulu, this is a process of mutual learning, I share what I have learned, as well as discover new things about Bengkulu that enrich my horizons and maturity ***

We all still remember the floods and landslides happened in Bengkulu in 2019. One of the triggering factors is extreme climate change. Natural disasters are detrimental to many parties. The data on April 2019 recorded 29 victims died, 13 people were missing, 2 people were seriously injured, and 2 people were slightly injured, explained Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the head of the Center for Data Information and Public Relations of the National Agency for Disaster and Mitigation (BNPB). In detail, Sutopo said that the most victims were in Central Bengkulu Regency with 22 people died due to landslides that occurred at the slope of Mount Bungkuk, Central Bengkulu regency. Meanwhile, 3 people died in the Kepahiang regency, 1 person in the Lebong Regency, and 3 people in Bengkulu city.

Central Bengkulu is the most affected by natural disasters. It happened because the geographical location and land structure are vulnerable to landslides as well as the many creeks in the area. Seeing these problems, Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu presented a diving trainer and professional swimmer, namely, Huanius Jastino Tresavaldo, an alumnus of State University of Bengkulu marine major (17/04/2022).

The training is important as an effort to equip students to help drowning victims. The resource person gave the material first before the participants were invited to practice in one swimming pool in Bengkulu city. He explained that the waters are divided into three, namely sea, river, and lake/pond. Each of these waters has its level of difficulty in the process of rescuing drowning victims.

When you are an almost drowning person, what you have to do is stay calm and not to be panic. Panic will make your body sink worsely. If you cannot swim, let your feet hit the bottom and push to the surface with your feet. This was done continuously, but even then it was still difficult, then he advised them to try to float in the water and make life jackets from the pants or clothes they were wearing.

The thing that must be underlined when helping drowning people is saving lives, so if you are not good at swimming then it is better to seek help, do not endanger your own life. Next, make sure that the drowning person is not in a panic condition, because when he/she is panic, he kicks reflexively which will drown the rescuer. Tell the drowning person to stay calm and trust the rescuer. Bring him with a hand around the drowning person’s back neck. Avoid pulling the drowning person face to face because he can make it difficult for the rescuer to swim, or bring him side to side. If the drowning person drinks a lot of water, it is important to place him not to sit or place his legs higher than the head but to lay him down, place one hand on his chest and tilt his body, the water will automatically come out of the mouth.

The activity ran nicely because the participants learned many new things, and the trainer taught various swimming styles. The material and knowledge are so useful in flooding or drowning conditions. Be happy and be spiritful to survive. (RGA) ***

If we feel and look carefully, the earth is getting hotter, isn't it? It happens because the climate has changed. Climate change is a biological and physical change that causes natural phenomena. The earth's temperature is increasing due to everal factors, such as the greenhouse effect because emissions released from the earth are kept in the atmosphere so that geothermal heat rises. These all cause long droughts, melting of polar icebergs, and will cause many problems for humans, especially in farming work related to providing water for agricultural land, finally it will threaten human food sources.

The importance of understanding this problem, the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu initiated a discussion forum with the theme Climate change and survival in Bengkulu, with the sub-theme "Our behavior and climate change" (09/04/2022). In this discussion, Ariani Narwastujati, S.Pd., S.S., M.Pd, Executive Director of Stube-HEMAT in Indonesia had the opportunity to come from Yogyakarta, as a resource person. There were 22 students of the Arastamar Theological College in Bengkulu (STTAB) who participated in this discussion enthusiastically.

Human behavior is a major factor in contributing to climate change. The use of massive means of transportation, air conditioning (AC), emissions from industry, and deforestation without adequate replanting of trees, trigger an increase in geothermal temperatures. In essence, the earth's temperature rises significantly due to the massive release of CO2 and other gases into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the resource person explained that ozone is the earth's protective layer from Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun so that the earth does not receive excessive heat from the sun's UV rays. For this reason, it is necessary to maintain the ozone layer, such as by planting lots of trees that help absorb CO2 and release O2, using a bicycle for certain distances, and reconstructing house buildings so there is no need for air conditioning. Whether we realize it or not, human behavior will affect global warming and climate change.

I gained new knowledge about climate change in this discussion. As a theology student, I am motivated to carry out activities to enlighten the people around me, so that they can also learn to love the natural environment and protect it properly. Thank you, Stube HEMAT Team for the enlightenment. Students are enlightened to enlighten others. ***

It was a good opportunity for colleagues in Central Bengkulu because they met the team from Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta, with Ariani Narwastujati (Executive Director), Rev. Bambang Sumbodo (Board in charge), and Isna (a student, a work team) on Saturday, April 8, 2022.

Some topics discussed were the themes of the Stube HEMAT meetings in the last few months, especially related to sexual violence against women and children. The meeting opened insight because of the in-depth discussion and sharing of experience and information regarding cases of violence and harassment, especially those that occurred in Bengkulu. It is very concerning that cases of violence and harassment still happen. From the discussion, several breakthroughs came up in methods, anticipation, vision, and commitment to minimize cases and problems.

Four students from Central Bengkulu expressed their opinions on their experiences joining the Stube HEMAT program. Tenti said, “In my opinion, Stube HEMAT is good to be held in Bengkulu because the activity brings enlightenment to the community, especially young people. After I joined the activities, I learned many experiences, such as materials about sustainable villages or sexual violence. Hopefully, Stube HEMAT can be known more and more in Bengkulu so that many more young people will learn about social issues around them.

Fenti, a student majoring in economics said, “With the Stube HEMAT team from Yogyakarta, we discussed many interesting things, such as comparisons of life and issues concerned by society. This conversation taught me that caring for the community in one's environment is very important. It is important to share the knowledge gained from the lecture when returning to the origin area. Hopefully, there will be another opportunity to discuss with the team from Yogyakarta.”

Sintia, a student at the State University of Bengkulu commented, “Even though the meeting was brief, the Stube HEMAT team from Yogyakarta provided new insights that can be applied in Bengkulu, especially Central Bengkulu. This area needs attention from all aspects and requires the presence of young people who want to move through a forum and Stube HEMAT is a good place to carry out this movement.”

In addition, the topic of children and their development has become a topic that is needed in Bengkulu because juvenile delinquency and violence against children and women are relatively common, and Stube HEMAT has this topic to provide correct understanding and insight. Rangga, a student majoring in health, stated, "Participating in a small discussion with Stube HEMAT sparked and motivated me to move forward to convey good things to the community."

From Central Bengkulu, there is a hope that the connection established can be maintained and Stube HEMAT program continues to provide opportunities for young people to gain knowledge and insight which can then be returned and developed for the community. (RGA).

A 6th-Semester Student of Arastamar Theological College, Bengkulu          

The activity of Stube HEMAT Bengkulu with the theme of Climate and Environment: Climate and its impact on Bengkulu environment was held at the Academic Hall of STTAB with Andreas Wahyu Permadi, S.Tr., MP as the resource person (Saturday, April 2, 2022). There were several notes in this activity:

The participants learned that weather is the physical condition of the atmosphere that can change in the short term, while climate is the average weather condition in an area over a long period. For example, today in Bengkulu is very sunny, but yesterday it was raining (weather). While an example of climate is ‘dry season in this year is quite long. Climate change is a change in the physical condition of the atmosphere, including changes in temperature and rainfall distribution that cause impacts on human life, such as long droughts, non-stop rain, landslides, and so on. Like it or not, climate change is going to happen. Climate change impacts farmers' failure to harvest, forest fires, floods due to heavy rainfall, and its effects on health such as respiratory infections, etc. The case is also seen in Bengkulu today, such as farmers fail to harvest, the rising air temperatures in Kepahiang which is famous as the coolest area in Bengkulu, or the phenomenon of hail in North Bengkulu.

What actions should be taken to reduce the negative impact when a disaster strikes? Adaptability is needed to reduce negative impacts, as well as observing climate and weather information as efforts to optimize disaster risk reduction, increasing body resistance through sport, consuming healthy food, building infrastructure by adjusting the risk of climate change impacts, or improving water management. Mitigation is an effort to avoid worst disasters and it can be managed so that when a disaster hits, everything is ready. The mitigation can be done by planting trees, saving water, energy-saving, using environmentally friendly energy sources, managing waste, and planting trees in the yard.

After the resource person delivered the discussion, there was a question from the lecturer, Made Nopen. He asked why Bengkulu city lacks  of wind while the village is not. The resource person answered that less cool wind in Bengkulu city was due to some factors, such as the less number of trees than houses, and it is near the coast so the heat would be reflected up to the sea level, so the temperature was much higher or hotter. There are important things to do, such as reducing private cars, and minimizing pollution, even though they are seen as trivial but having a good impact to the environment.

At the end of the presentation, the resource person emphasized that climate change cannot be avoided, but its negative impacts may be minimized. The world does not lack smart people but lacks people who care environment. So, for those who already know the dangers of climate change and its impacts, let us keep the environment and nature clean and balanced by disposing garbage in its place, reusing recycled goods, planting trees in the yard, and caring for the environment. ***

Hi Stube HEMAT Indonesia students! I am Samueli Hia from Stube HEMAT Bengkulu. I am a second-semester student at Arastamar Theological College of Bengkulu. This is my first time join Stube HEMAT Bengkulu. I got this opportunity from my Lecturer, Made Nopen Supardi, S. Th. (Saturday, 19/03/2022), from 3.00-5.00 p.m. The discussion theme was Women and Children’s Protection, with a sub-theme Children’s Rights According to Internasional and Indonesian Conventions by Ariani Narwastujati, S.Pd., S.S., M.Pd, Executive Director of Stube HEMAT. This discussion was held online (Yogya-Bengkulu) because of the increasing cases of Omicron, the Covid-19 variant.

I summarize what I learned from the discussion. The speaker talked about Children’s Rights so the discussion informed the participants about what children deserved to get from their families or society. In addition to the definition of a child that’s between 0-18 years old, the speaker also conveyed The Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 by UNICEF, which produced 54 chapters on Children’s Rights, such as no discrimination against children, getting the best attention, protection, guidance, rights to live, get a name, identity, living with family, communicating with families from different countries, protect children from kidnapping, respect for children’s perspectives, sharing thoughts freely, free of thought and religion, having a community (group), protecting children’s privacy, getting access to information, getting responsibility from parents, protection from violence, protected orphans, adoption and other.

Finally, November 20th was appointed as International Children’s Day. From the chapters of the convention of the International Children’s rights above, the Indonesian government adopted and summarized them into 10 Children’s Rights, which include:

1. Right to play
2. Right to have Education
3. Right to have Protection
4. Right to get Name (Identity)
5. Right to get National Status
6. Right to get Food
7. Right to Access Health
8. Right to have Recreation
9. Right to get Equality
10. Right to have a role in Development

The discussion gave me a new insight how to understand the rights of the children which need to be fulfilled either by adults, parents, or related institutions. This insight becomes a provision for me to be actively involved in children's protection by paying attention to their rights. ***

Recently, I had an opportunity to take part in an activity carried out by Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu in Taba Gemantung village, Merigi Sakti district, Central Bengkulu regency (20/03/2022). Alfredo Qoeiko, the advisor for LK3 Bengkulu Tengah delivered the material. I learned new insight regarding the role of the Family Welfare Consulting Institute (LK3) in cases of sexual violence occurred among people.

LK3 itself is an organization that provides counseling services, consultations, providing and disseminating information, outreach, protection, mentoring, and family empowerment in a professional manner, including referring targets to other service institutions that can solve the required problems. The institution deals with problems that often occur in the community, such as sexual violence. The institution has a duty to ensure the welfare of the family. LK3 is under the supervisor of the Ministry of Social Affairs which plays an active role in all aspects that support community welfare.

Various changes in society’s life lead to the rise of complex problems faced by families, such as poverty, neglected children, domestic violence, trafficking, and drug abuse. Those become the basis thought of the institution. In cases of sexual violence, LK3 plays a role to provide social protection and assistance until the case is resolved as a criminal case or familial solution. If the victim is traumatized due to harassment, the LK3 officer will accompany the survivor with moral support or other assistance depending on the need, because basically, LK3 has several focuses, covering Economics, Health, Education, Social Affairs, and Law such as cases of Domestic Violence (KDRT).

In practice, if someone suffers from domestic violence or sexual violence, the LK3 Social Workers will provide support or protection to the survivor during the legal process. They derived from villagers based on a decision issued by the Social Service so that a Social Worker has legal protection. There are at least five Social Workers in one village to cover and to serve people better.

The role of LK3 is significant to support the welfare of community groups. Unfortunately, not every village has LK3, such as Taba Gemantung village. After the discussion, LK3 will be formed in Taba Gemantung. It needs efforts from various stakeholders to establish the institution, so through LK3, the village community welfare can be more promoted as violence cases may happen to anyone.***

In this occassion the discussion talked about the convention on international child rights which Ariani Narwastujati, the executive director of Stube HEMAT, as the resource person. The online discussion via Zoom (19/03/2022) took place from 15.00 WIB to 17:15 WIB. It was opened by the Mutiplicator Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu, Yohanes Dian Alpasa, followed by Made Nopen Supriadi, a lecturer at the Arastamar Bengkulu Theological College (STTAB), as well as a volunteer for this session as moderator.

At the beginning of the discussion, Ariani introduced 42 children's rights of the 1990 international convention which was later adopted by the Indonesian government into 10 children's rights (Law No. 23 of 2002). Understanding the category of children became the opening conversation of the discussion, namely from the prenatal phase (still in the womb) to the age of 18 years. It turned out that there are student participants who are still 17 years old, so they can still be categorized as children. Some participants were asked to share stories about their childhood experiences, whether they experienced pleasant things, disappointment, bitterness, whether the nutritional intake was guaranteed, had the right to speak in the family, and whether their voices were heard, and so on.

Participants' answers are varied. One of the discussion participants answered that he was disappointed in his childhood, because of the words and treatment of his parents, experienced shortages, and his needs were not fulfilled at certain times. Another participant said that he felt fulfilled by his parents, happy, and not lacking. The resource person said that the shortage could include facilities, food, health, education, recreation, etc. It is admitted that some children live in abundance of love, facilities, as well as food, but on the other hand, there are still many and even millions of children who cannot enjoy the basic facilities and adequacy of life. The formulation of children's rights is not an instant product. The formulation of international child protection has been initiated in 1979 and was approved 10 years later, only 2 years later, this convention was ratified on 20th November which was subsequently commemorated as International Children's Day.

In the first part, the resource person explained the convention of international child rights from number 1 to 20. “from these international children's rights, have all of them been fulfilled? Which one has not been fulfilled?” asked the resource person in between her presentation. Lita, one of the participants, answered that rights number 15 related to giving children the freedom to join an activity group had not been fulfilled. Sometimes parents are too worried and question whether the group/community that will be followed is good or not. A similar answer was also expressed by a participant named Ponsius who stated that his parents did not allow him to participate in outside activities. Thus, the resource person stated to the participants that the consequence of being a parent is to ensure that their children get their rights.

In the next section, the resource persons described the rights of children number 21 to 42, such as guaranteed protection when evacuating, no discrimination for children with disabilities, the right to access clean water, food, and a healthy environment. There are cases where children have less attention to nutritional adequacy and often eat only plain rice, but when a guest arrives, various nutritious food is immediately available. Are only rich people able to fulfill children's rights? No, even the lower middle class can afford it. Healthy food does not have to be expensive because vegetables and fruit can be grown on their own, as in Bengkulu there is still enough land area that can be utilized. Raising chickens and ducks is also not difficult.

Made Nopen as moderator responded to this explanation by admitting that he had not been able to fully fulfill these rights. The discussion became more interesting with questions arose, such as how the restrictions on information by parents prevent the negative influence of information from the internet, photos of social media accounts using images of kids, how are the rights of children born out of wedlock, how government programs implement child protection laws, as well as the international child community. The resource person answered and discussed all of this with the participants so that they added insight and understanding of the material provided.

At the end of the discussion Made Nopen asked the resource person to give a closing statement and close the activity by expressing a hope that children's rights can be understood more and for adults who already know about children's rights are obliged to disseminate them so that the quality of Indonesian children’s life will increase. (YDA) 

Sem. VI Student of Arastamar Bengkulu Theological College.         

I’m Peemi Guswita Zalukhu, here is the resume of the activities I participated in from the Stube HEMAT Bengkulu community at Arastamar Theological College of Bengkulu/STTAB (Saturday, 26/02/2022). The activity is carried out at 20.00 s.d. 21.30 WIB with Dr(c). Samuel Purdaryanto, M.Pd.K., M.Th. as the resource person.

Women and children often become the center of attention because they often suffer from violence done by men. The Indonesian government produced the laws to protect children and women, as well as to eradicate violence cases against children and women. Even every year the number is not decreasing but increasing, and happening everywhere. The new highlighted case is the case of Heri Wiran, an ustad who raped 12 students in Bandung. Pesantren, a place of religious education that should be safe for students have become places of violence. Other cases also occurred in many religious places spread across the country.

Bengkulu with its 10 regencies recorded 1.054 cases of violence occurring in the 2019-2021 period (source: Bengkulu PUPA Foundation). In 2020 there were 52 cases of women and children aged 0-12 years, from 13-17 there were 64 cases, aged 60 up were 6 cases. From the available data, it can be concluded that the highest level of violence occurs among children and adolescents that has received less attention from the public. There are 2 kinds of violence case that occur, 1) in the family, as the husband assumes that his wife and children are private property so he is free to do anything, 2) in the education environment, the case is varied and the victims are in the 6th grade of elementary school, 3rd junior high school and graduated from high school. In early 2021, a pregnant woman in Tanjung Anum was killed by her husband because of accusations of infidelity. LPSK (Witness and Consumer Protection Body) stated that in June 2021, there were 18 cases of domestic violence, especially during the pandemic which affected the family's economic situation. Hilda Niwati, from the Bengkulu Social Service, said that sexual violence was increasing until November 2021 and the perpetrators were people closest to the victim, such as father, uncle, grandfather, or other relatives.

As the closing statement of the discussion,  regarding the religious institution and the protection of women and children, the resource person stated that religion in Indonesia actually prevents chaos but in reality, there are still many religious institutions that have not been effective to protect women and children.  Religious education is very important, because of the good values ​​taught, such as an attitude of loving one another. The discussion participants are candidates of religious leaders who must learn from various existing cases to prevent violations of the protection of women and children. (PGZ).

Protection of children and women is the responsibility of parents, families, and the surrounding community. The protection given to children is a guarantee so that children can live, grow, develop and also be able to socialize in their surrounding environment. There are still many cases and violations with victims of children and women, including trafficking, violence, sexual harassment, and various other violations. The worse is, many of the cases were committed by people close to the victims and even their family members.

Therefore, the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT Bengkulu through the activist in Doloksanggul, Humbang Hasundutan (Humbahas), North Sumatra held a visit to Sopo Baca Haminjon in Pandumaan Village, Humbahas to discuss the importance of protecting children and women in Humbahas, as well as observing the literacy of children in Humbahas (Sunday, 30/01/2021). 'Sopo' means a small house, while 'Haminjon' is a hundred years old endemic plant of Batak land that has been handed down from generation to generation for families to manage for its sap by tapping it into rubber fuel.

Agustina Pandiangan, a women and children activist and the founder of Sopo Baca Haminjon, explained that a conversation or discussion about the protection of women and children is so important and urgent. Sopo was established to prove that village children can read, care about the environment, and are free to learn.  “Discussions on the protection of women and children are very important considering that from year to year the cases of violations against women and children continue to increase. Moreover, this kind of discussion has not been carried out in many regions," said Agustina. "Cases of violence against children and women are relatively fewer compared to other regions and we hope that there will be no more in Humbang Hasundutan. However,  the counted case is what’s revealed in the public news, what about the cases that are still hidden from the media?” asked Agus.

Therefore, the discussions about the protection of women and children are very important, as early protection so that such cases will not occur, as well as providing education for the community, especially children and women,  to anticipate violence against them. At the end of the meeting, stationeries such as notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners, and reading books were distributed to complete the collection and reading at Sopo Baca Haminjon. ***

I have been participating in Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu since October 2021, I learned many benefits, especially about social topics that are rarely discussed on campus. In January, Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu activists at STTAB Campus held a discussion on Women & Children Protection in Bengkulu, with a sub-theme Perspectives on the Life of Women and Children of Nias and Mentawai ethnic as an Effort to Understand the Problem of Violence Against Women and Children in Bengkulu (31/1/2022).

The Stube HEMAT Bengkulu meeting at STTAB applied a dialogue model. The discussion started by listening to one of Nias students about the lives of women and children. Elboy Gulo said, “Women in Nias are very well-cared in the family. When a woman grows up and she is about to get married, there will be "jujuran" (dowry) that must be given by the man. The more educated of a woman, the higher dowry will be. At the past, the Nias women were prohibited to go to school, because their parents could not afford the school fees. The high dowry made Nias women difficult to get husbands. There are cases when the married family is more focused to pay off the dowry than to fulfill the children's needs, and the economic difficulties hinder them to afford higher education. However, nowadays women nearly have the same position as men.”

Furthermore, Ajupendi Sakerebau from Mentawai explained, “Women in Mentawai ethnic are highly valued. In the past, they were not free to get an education, because they only focused on their families. Now, they have the opportunity to get education. Women do not inherit wealth from their parents, because when they marry, they will inherit from their husbands. In the process of getting married, the man first asked the woman’s uncle aboutthe dowry, while the parents did not charge a high dowry. When the women are allowed to study, their parents emphasize them to live in dormitories than boarding houses. Children need to be taken care of because they are the family’s special treasure. They need to be educated but there are still parents who are not supportive.”

Kristin Oktaviani, a counselor at an orphanage in Bengkulu shared her experience, “There is a 3rd-grade elementary school student who got sexual violence from his neighbor because his parents often leave him at home for work. When the parents reported to the police, the perpetrator distorted the facts and it traumatized the child greatly. There are also cases of children being used as an intermediary for drug abuse”

Linistiasi Gea provided data related to cases of violence against women and children, “In Bengkulu in 2016 there were cases of violence, rape, and murder of a young girl named Yuyun by 14 men. On November 7, 2017 in Kota Lekat Village, Kec. Ulu Palik, North Bengkulu, a 14-year-old girl was raped by 20 men. And the latest data on November 16, 2021, there was a rape case against 4 young women by 7 men, one of the perpetrators was a State Civil Apparatus (ASN).”

From the three presentations, the discussion began to integrate the context of cultural thought in Nias, Mentawai, and the cases in Bengkulu to find solutions or positive ideas. Peemi Guswita Zalukhu stated, "The positive value of the Nias and Mentawai ethnic is to respect women and be responsible to children. Thus, the values are needed to be learned in Bengkulu, to be positive respecting women and protecting children."

While Aprima Heppy Halawa stated, ”Nias and Mentawai culture has been open to provide an opportunity to women and children to school, it should be continued to encourage the lives of women and children as well as parents to promote education for women and children so that they have insight and wisdom in life.”

Finally, I stated that: "it is necessary to equip with knowledge of the law on the protection of women and children, so, when the theology students find the violence case, they can act wisely, reporting to the authorities."

The discussion was closed by Made Nopen Supriadi, a STTAB lecturer. He concluded that the theology students must show sensitivity toward women and children who are victims of violence by being ready to become counselors for them, brave to act, and report to the authorities if they know the violent case against women and children. He invited the students to integrate cultural knowledge of both Nias and Mentawai that respect women and protect children is also carried out in Bengkulu. He also emphasized that the theology students should set an example of a high moral-dignified life, not only for themselves but also for human beings, especially for women and children's protection. ***

Violence against children, human trafficking, and sexual violence often occur among society. Many factors may trigger the occurrence of this case. Considering that such issue was good to be discussed and known to many parties, so Stube Bengkulu had it in a discussion held in Taba Gemantung village, Merigi Sakti district, Central Bengkulu Regency (30/01/2022).

Ten village youths attended the discussion with Reginiana Dosvia Khalista S.Pd.K as the resource person. She is a volunteer for the Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu multiplication program who works as a teacher and youth mentor. The discussion revealed data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) in 2015, showing there were 21.6 million cases of violations of children's rights, and worst 58% of them included in the category as sexual violence against children that led to murder.

Why does sexual violence happen to children? The several factors are: 1) The first factor is the role of parents. Parents have a big role in preventing such cases by increasing supervision and providing education about sex, abuse, and its consequences. Unfortunately, this is often still considered taboo for some parents so that children do not have a proper understanding of sex. Therefore, parents must be more active in communicating with their children regarding these problems. Children will finally know how to use gadgets wisely. 2) The second factor is the environment, where the children live and have interaction. The surrounding community must have a healthy life character because children or adults who have the potency to become perpetrators of violence are the results of imitating. An unhealthy environment such as the influence of alcohol, narcotics, or pornography will also gradually affect. 3) The third factor is the presence of a trigger. Victims and perpetrators are usually children who are quiet and think that it is not right to refuse when touched, and because of fear, it is very easy to become a victim. As for the perpetrator, the trigger is usually a sexual desire that is not expressed properly.

From the explanation, the participants stated their thoughts, namely: 1) The youth of Taba Gemantung village must have a correct understanding about sexual violations and share this information with the community; 2) The youth of Taba Gemantung village must be the role model for the people in their village with the right lifestyle; 3) The youth of Taba Gemantung Village will become community observers to avoid sexual violence, and provide education to young people in their village to have the courage to refuse if they suffer from harassment.

The discussion is expected to be a good source of information and help young people to prevent acts of sexual violence that occur to women and children in Bengkulu Province in general. ***