Emen, The Positive and Kind Seller

Emen, The Positive and Kind Seller

by Faris Hardiyan

Emen, it was the nickname he got when he decided to start selling fried rice in a no longer used public telephone area near the security post at a crowded housing complex called Jatiagung. He forgot why the resident started to call him “emen”, but he is okay with that. 

Emen was selling fried rice to the resident since 1996. At first he was moving around the complex offering his cuisine. Until 2000 he finally can opened his own food stall. He did everything for his food stall by his own. He prepared everything, and also cooked the cuisine by his own. 

Eventhough he sell his cuisine in a housing complex, he lives on a house with only two rooms and a lavatory at the outter area of the complex. He live with his wife, his children already got married and move to another place. For about one kilo meter from his house, live his brother that also sell fried rice for living. 

He is happy with his life. “I love my life. Living in a poor area doesn’t mean that I have to feel sad and regret my own life.” He said. 

The complex resident was happy with him. He is a nice person, and he likes to help other when there is some trouble with them. The funny and also a ironic part is he knows the resident better than the resident itself. He open his food stall from six pm to one or two am in the midnight, then about 8 to 9 pm, some elder men start to hanging out and gossiping on his stall or playing card on the security post. He said, “I even know this complex resident even better than the resident itself from the talk of those elder men. They like to gossiping other resident, just like elder woman.” That is why he likes to help others when they have some trouble. 

“I always try to see the good in everything. Because life isn’t that hard when I always see the good in everything and I never forget to always feel blessed and thank to God about what I have now.”

fhardiyan

Living as a Volunteer: Born to Work beyond Money

Living as a Volunteer: Born to Work beyond Money
By Annisa Dewi Nugrahani

“Your life and mine should be valued, not by what we take but by what we give” – Edgar Allen.

Permata Dewi Andanti, on her graduation day

It is such an amazement when hearing Permata Dewi Andanti’s story, a fresh-graduate from University of Indonesia, who help others without being paid. The idea ‘volunteering is cool’ brought her to the first voluntary work in college 3 years ago.

“I volunteered for UI Peduli, an activity of helping flood survivor in North Jakarta. It was my first timeand I enjoyed it,” said the 22 years old girl.

Danti believes that it is very awesome to spend the times, not just the leisure times, for life of others. She thinks that it is worth to try and actually is a must.

“At first, Ifelt embarrassed of myself who didn’t use the time really well. I usually spent them for something meaningless,” she admitted. “Until I inspired by my generous friends who gave a lot of their time to help those in need.So, yeah, I think it was nice to join voluntary work.”

After realizing that times have to be spend for something useful, the incapability of government in seeing problems and solutions also motivate her to do more voluntary work.

“The incapability of government to see the problem and the most effective solution is for people to work hand by hand in this collective action also make me more excited to be a volunteer. I figured that the people have more power than representatives,” she added to imply that the best way is not just mocking or criticizing the government but contribute ourselves into an action.

It is never about money since she never gets material for being a volunteer. It is the sense of being useful to people even has to sacrifice her happiness. Moreover, she gets to meet a lot of new people. In addition, she gains many positive values of being a volunteer.

“Meet new amazing people and learn much about stuffs I didn’t know before is another benefits of volunteering. It is beyond money,” she added.

Now, this girl with Psychology Bachelor Degree is one of the volunteers for Safe House, a secret house to helpwomen who become victims of trafficking, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and also gender base assault.

“Let’s go back into our society. Old saying said we need a town to raise a child but we often forget who raise a town. It’s us. Stop taking it as a granted. Why I mention about society because volunteer work is aimed to help society, to enrich a community and society. And that’s the history.”

Wonder Woman from Pura Bali

Wonder Woman from Pura Bali

By RAHMAT ALWI

            Asni Fatimah, who has lived in Pura Bali precise near State University of Jakarta, Rawamangun, for 25 years and still life there until now. She works as a fried-food seller before she becomes a picker.

Mrs. Asni lives with her one granddaughter in a small house in Pura Bali, Rawamangun. She work as a picker for almost two years, wake up early in the morning and back to home before Maghreb at 6 o’clock.

“I live here for 25 years, I know all about this place. Living like this is very hard. This house is loan, every day I always get small income, even for eat; every Monday and Thursday I always doing fast to save my money.”

At her age, 66, Mrs. Asni is still works to make her granddaughter happy and make their life still going on.  She spent almost of her age in Pura Bali, a small place where marginal people lived. Most of people in Pura Bali work as a picker, unemployer, and cadger. In 2014, the government tried to condemn her house, but she tried to stay because she doesn’t know where to live. “I really want to move from here, from this place, but I don’t have money, I’m just an old woman who tries to thankful for what I have right now.”

She has two boys and one daughter, and all of them already married and made their own life with their own family. And Dewi, her granddaughter, stay with Mrs. Asni because her third son die because an accident, so her daughter-in-law gave Dewi to her.

Work as a picker is really hard. The writer almost cry when Mrs. Asni tell how hard her day life. Early morning she woke up to find some rubbish around State University of Jakarta (UNJ), walk far from Rawamangun to Manggarai sometimes she barefoot then she collects those things and brings to the collector to trade with some money. 1 kilogram (kg) can only price with 5.000,00 Rp. We can imagine how much she need bring to the collector for everyday needs.

“I try to work hard. I don’t want to be a cadger or even burglar. As long as this body can walk, can breath and we still have faith to the God, just belive Allah swt is with us.”

Balancing Motherhood and Education: Leaving Family to Study Abroad

Balancing Motherhood and Education: Leaving Family to Study Abroad 

By Metrida Ananda Vidiarsi

Ela (right) and her friend, Alfi (left) at Groningen, Netherland

“Either being a career woman or a housewife, a woman must be high-educated because she will be a mother. Intelligent mothers will create intelligent children.” – Dian Sastrowardoyo

The arrival terminal was crowded. A little boy saw his mother just walked out the exit gate of the terminal and shouted, “Mama!” and ran into his mother’s arm. His mother smiled and hugged him tightly, for the first time again after one and half year not meeting him.

Pamela or usually called as Ela, a civil servant just got back home from Groningen, Netherland after finishing her study for master degree in psychology. She got a scholarship from Bappenas after four years of working at Badan Kepegawaian Negara.

“I was applying for the scholarship about a year before my departure. I passed the test and prepared for one year. I applied to University of Groningen, one of the best universities in Netherland and got accepted for one year master degree program.” She said.

The hardest part of studying abroad is not the struggle of surviving there, but the struggle of fighting homesick. Ela was a mother of one and half year old son when she started to study abroad. She had to leave her son to his grandparents. She could not bring her son with her because her scholarship fee was not enough to pay daycare fee.

“The day I departed from Jakarta, I had to hold my tears when I hugged my husband and my son. I was going to miss them so much. I kept holding my tears when I walked into the boarding room and heard my son shouted ‘Mama! Mama!’ and he tried to run into me but he couldn’t.”

The first month living abroad was the hardest time for her. She called his son via Skype daily and only saw him on her laptop screen. At the same time she had to adapt with her new environment and kept up with the subjects.

Her study in Groningen was not easy. She failed thrice in statistics and another subject and she was not being able to graduate on time. She had to extend her study for another semester.

“I failed in one subject that made me could not finish my study on time. I had to miss my family for other months. I called my mother and told her that I wanted to drop my study and packed my luggage and go home. I got frustrated but my mom told me that I have to keep going. I can’t just stop there and not finishing my study. She told me that it is better to have the university dropped me out than dropped out by myself because it means that I’ve done my best. ‘He [her son] will be fine here with me’ my mom told me,” She said.

After that, she got transferred to another subject in order to make her finished her thesis easier and graduate on time. She could not stay for another semester due to her visa and her financial support from the scholarship.

Finally, after one and half year of study Ela was being able to graduate from University of Groningen and got her master degree. She did not attend the graduation ceremony due to her job.

“I had to miss the graduation ceremony because I had to go back to the office two weeks after I got announced that I passed. I did not mind at all. I already miss my family, especially my son.”

Some people say that women should not have high education because their obligation is to do domestic work. Ela has her own opinion to this statement.

“I’m now preparing myself to apply for doctoral and postdoctoral degree in Groningen again. This time I’ll take my family there because it will need six years to finish my study until postdoctoral degree. Being a wife and a mother is not an obstacle to get higher education. A woman must be intelligent. A woman must be well-educated because a mother is her children’s first educational institution.”

Like My Own Daughter

Like My Own Daughter 

by Jeni Nurmawati

His beloved snake

The sky seemed grotesque when he was on his way home, knowing that last night his lovely pet, a three-years old reticulated phyton snake, named Aya, was gone from the glass cage where she usually stayed. No one in the house knew where she was. All his family members could not hide their emotion that they were very worried about her, though it wasn’t the first time she gone. On that day, the entire people got frightened for the first time when one of his snakes just ran away.

“It does not mean anything”, said Ryan Ramadhan Suas, a reptile lover, tried to keep himself amused.

When he arrived home at 7 p.m with his expectation that Aya was already came back home, he got a shocking news told by his mother that Aya was found and beaten up to death by a group of villager living there. His neighbor was the witness of that situation.

He just damaged in silence. It was terrible.

The world was like exploded, ruined, and shattered. He won’t believe that it was real, but his mother’s eyes never tell a lie. He could not control his anger, and decided to take a shower to cleared his mind but it won’t healed and got worse and worse.

He began to cried desperately.

After that he started to tell a story about Aya. She is one of his three snakes he had beside Ara the bold phyton, and Ana the boa, bought about three years ago from his well-known friend. First thing first, what isthe trigger which brought him to pet a snake where there are many cute and tame animals such as dogs, cats, or even rabbits. Well, this question become an interesting part for him, because he believe he can conquer the wild animals by himself in spite many people thought it may danger him sometime.

“I’m very proud when I can do something which people think it is impossible to do.”

“I really wanted to have a snake since childhood. I’ve collected the photos and read many articles related to snakes, which made me become more excited day by day. After that I started thinking about having and caring of them, and  I didn’t believe that I could afforded them when I was a college student.”

He really loves a non-venomous snake. Life is miserable without having a lovely pets which are really bonding with him. His excitementover snakes once ever led him to dreamed about having a snakes farm.

It’s nearly impossible for him to find out the lacks of raising the snake.He enjoys take care of them because snakes do not have any furs. Furs may cause asthma for anyone whom allergic to it, unlike the snake which are really save for people suffering asthma.

Aya the Reticulated Phyton

“There are three out of many reasons why I love to handle a snake”, said him. First, the snakes are really strong in maintaining their hunger, so he feed them only once or twice a week. It is suitable for people who have a tight schedule whose times are very limited for caring their pets. The second, the snakes have a good self-resistance to their surrounding. They can survive in any kinds of temperature, dry or wet, even ina less-oxygen place. The last reason which he love the most, is their skin patterns are really adorable because it has its own characteristic, and always different depend on their species.

“It is really fascinating when you can play around with them, and also with their skin pattern. You can cross-breed them to create a new unique pattern to make it distinct with other snake, and I would never stop amazed with it”, said him enthusiastically with the glared eyes.

Suddenly, his eyes began to flooded again with tears, recalled with the unforgettable memories he spent together with her.

“She is the most understanding creature God ever created for me. I still remember when I was a college student, she always nodded at me when I told her my problems. I’m not sure about it, but she acted like she understand all my words.”

Aya had been very loyal to him, waited for him to come in his bedroom. Sometimes when he got home, she tricked him by disappeared and hidden in the cupboard. Sometimes she got angry when she got hungry by bitten his hand, but turned to be very slothful when she got fulled. The funniest thing he had ever done to her is tickle her genital part, and she got mad. She was being cold to him for a day and didn’t want to be touched.

“Well, If I remember how I treated her until she raised properly, and became bulky, it really shatter my heart into pieces. I treated her like my own daughter. I can’t believe yesterday is the last day I saw her.”

Although it was hard for him to face the fact, he should have let her go sincerely to make her feel peace. He could not hold his tears any longer. He cried again like he did in a bathroom a few hours ago, and called her name a few times. He apologized for his reckless in protecting her, and said ;

“I really hope that Aya forgive me and she get a peaceful life there in heaven, and also a plenty of foods.”

Mr. Yudi: A Successful Businessman

Mr. Yudi: A Successful Businessman
By Tiara Ristyana

Maybe for some people, the success can only be obtained by a person who has good education, but it does not apply to Mr.Yudi.

Yudi was born in Ulujami, Central Java. He lives in Penggilingan, East Jakarta. He is 60 years old and also he is a successful businessman without having a good educational background. He has business which is to make a pant uniform. He built his business in his house. He put his business in a big room in his house where there is so many sewing mechine as tools to produce pants uniform. The room was equipped with a radio that could be entertainment for employees when they work, beside that the room was clean so it can make employees feel comfortable.

The success that achieved by Mr. Yudi today can not be separated from his hard work, willingness and sacrifice that he did. He was formerly only an employee who worked in the same field as him, as a tailor.

“Before I had my own business, I was an employee who wants to know and learned how to sew and make clothing patterns because of that my knowledge gain."

In 1980’s, he came to Jakarta to start his business. In 1983, he moved to Penggilingan, a place where he lives until now while he’s continuing his business. He distributed his product in Jakarta to Sumatera.

Is not easy to achieve success, there are many obstacles that must be faced by someone who has a business and how someone can face that obstacles.  It is also experienced by Mr. Yudi as a successful businessman. Mr. Yudi experienced a lack of funds to start his business because he did not have enough money to buy the equipments for his business and he did not know what he should do at that time.

“At that time I was confused because I did not know what I should do. I wanted to have a business to make a pant uniform but I did not have enough money to buy the equipment for my business. I did not want my parents knew this problem until I chosed to become a tailor. That job could give me money and knowledge to start my business later.” He said with a sad face.

Yudi’s desire to have his own business turned out to be realized through his strong desire. The money that he collected to start the business growing each day and slowly he started his business, but there was an obstacle that he had to face it. It was difficult to find an employee to produce his efforts.

He said “It is difficult for me to find the employment or maintain the employment and also when the production materials rose to hinder the performance of the production. I think twice whether I wanted to continue this business or not. I asked for help to my friends to find people who want to work on my business. Finally I got 8 employees."

Mr. Yudi already had own employees and enough money to run his business. He started to sell his products by setting up a small shop in his house and then he tried to sell his products throughout Jakarta.

With friendliness and religious attitude which is applied by Mr. Yudi in building his business, it made him has many friends who wanted to buy his product and become his business partner.

He said “how to maintain this business in order to stay current is to be patient and honest in trade because if we always be patient and honest, we will get the benefit and Allah will bless us."

Mr. Yudi is a discipline person, friendly, and also firmly. In the family, he was a father who teaches his children to always be honest and patient. He did not have people who could be his inspiration. He only believed in his ability, his knowledge to build his own business.

"We live only once so when we do an activity such as trade, we must always be honest because with that, we will get prosperity abundant from Allah even though we do not have the ability and good education, Allah will surely make it easier and provide way out to us."

Life Is Too Boring to Not Take a Challenge

 Life Is Too Boring to Not Take a Challenge

By Rizki Sulistya

Debrina giving her speech in a meeting

In a room full of serious people, the meeting was just begin, she appeared sitting, unconcerned with her surroundings, just staring at her books on her desk looking at it as if she was trying to figured out something with a pen on her fingers. She was stunt when someone called her.

20 years old Debrina is now enrolling her 6th semester as a university student whilst being in two organizations, one being a member of Constitution Commission in Student Representative Board and the other one being the head of the Legislation Board in FBS.

Everywhere she goes, everyone that knows her would greet her simply by saying “Hi Ka…” or “hi deb!”

“Being in organizations, not only I get to meet different types of people but also I get to learn something new every day”

In high school, Debrina’s first organization wasn’t a major one, in fact at first she was afraid to join any kind of organization.

“In high school I was afraid of being open to people that’s why I didn’t take any major organization and I regretted that. I realize being in organization is really fun.”

From being a staff to being the head in organization, she works her way up with a positive thought in mind.

Debrina believes that in every organization, there is always something new to learn. When she was only a staff, she learned how to be useful to people. When she became the head, she learned how to be a leader but that didn’t stop there. Her determination of being active in organizations leads her to try something new, something different. She starts all over again as being only a staff but at a higher level. “I tried something different, I learned from the beginning again because it was something different from what I’ve done before.” She said.

Debrina and her staff in a meeting

Last year, being The Head of Public Relation in Student Executive Board was one of her favorite. It was the time where she really learned how to help people without asking them to help her back.

“I learn how to be professional. Like when people force me to finish a task in a limited amount of time then I have to get it done. They don’t care about my excuses, what matter is to get the job done in no time. It was a fun yet stressful year.”

Despite active in organizations, it doesn’t stop her from getting good grades in college. In fact she maintained to keep her GPA high throughout the years.

“It can become very hectic sometimes, in a day there is a time when I have to attend a very important meeting, at the same time I have a deadline due tomorrow but I also have to teach. When that happens, the first thing I have to sacrifice is my sleeping time. I sleep only when I finish the assignments because academic is always my number one priority.”

She believes that organization is not something that stopping people from getting behind in school performances rather it is a chance to get new life experience.

“Life is too boring to not take a challenge.” She said. “I’m not perfect, but it’s not how perfect we are in organization but how we are willing to learn to take every risks and chances to keep moving on and do the best with our capability.”

The Smallest Actions Often Make the Biggest Difference

The Smallest Actions Often Make the Biggest Difference

By: Debrina Ayu

Figure 1 : Sigit is teaching in front of the class.

Based on The Jakarta Post, Indonesia is the second-least literate nation in the world in a list of 61 measurable countries, besting only Botswana, according to new research that ranks the five Nordic states (Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden) as the top five.

The number of uneducated people is higher in isolated district. This could be a wakeup call for many people including Sigit Puji Wicaksono as for today he joins SM3T, Sarjana Mendidik di Daerah Terluar, Terdepan, dan Tertinggal. The participants are there to make people across the nation realize that Indonesia is not merely Java Island and it takes lots of people to develop it. SM3T offers different teaching experience. He said that teaching in remote areas is totally different than in big cities such as Jakarta. He wants to undergo it and shares his ‘city’ life to people in those areas.

SM3T is not a new program. It has been held for 4 years at that time. In 2015, Sigit and his colleagues talked about this programme yet at the end, there was only him. He decided to join the programme soon after graduating from State University of Jakarta. In addition, after the SM3T, the participants will get free enrolment for PPG (Pendidikan Profesi Guru) –a must for a teacher.

However, Sigit had to meet the requirements which were online application, written test, and interview. Stated that he was qualified, he had to go through some training before being sent to remote areas. Every participant is chosen either to Papua, Kupang, or Riau as for Sigit it is a village in Kupang. He is assigned in Junior High School 2 Amfoang Timur. It is a totally different world out there. The village is near the Oekusi District of Timor Leste. Don’t even bother to think about Wi-Fi. There isn’t even a cellular signal. In fact, the electricity is only for about 12 hours a day. To reach the City of Kupang, he has to take a bus for 12-14 hours.

He feels happy to contribute something for our country yet it is really sad to see undeveloped district. “It is sad to see the condition in this area. Once, I challenged my students to count number 1 to 10 yet they cannot even say one two three in English”, he recalled.

Once, the students were asked to introduce themselves in English yet none of them could. After they were taught several times, they were able to do it with a text. Sigit also said that the students also couldn’t understand simple expressions. For instance they were told to open the book. Few of them managed to do it but the rest of them just stand up, or opened the window, or cleaned the blackboard.

Figure 2: The students are studying.

The students only have a small opportunity to study at home because the books are only available in the school. So they could only rely on the teachers. Sometimes the students go to Sigit’s house to repeat what they have studied in the school.

Sigit also said that students in 7^th grade couldn’t even remember a simple multiplication as for the following grade still get confused. “It was one afternoon when they were studying in my house. They were given a simple case; if you had Rp10.000,- in your hand and the price of a book was Rp1.000,- each, how many books could you buy? They answered, ‘we couldn’t buy it, sir. The price of the book in the store was Rp2.500,-”, said Sigit.

It is tough yet meaningful. Sigit has lived for 8 months there and is about to finish his SM3T in a couple of months. The programme has given valuable knowledge for students in remote areas. They have learned to count, speak, read, and write –something that not all of them can get since there are limited amount of teachers.

“One of the proudest moments is listening to my students singing Indonesia Raya. I wish that my contribution is useful for students here. They will continue to higher level of education and one day, they will come back to develop their village.”