SUIJI Service Learning Program on Situ Gede Village

I have joined an event to learn service for village people. The program called SUIJI or Six-University Initiative Japan Indonesia (SUIJI) that contain three university from Indonesia (IPB, UGM and UNHAS) and three university from Japan (Ehime, Kochi and Kagawa University) . The purpose of this program is to contribute for sustainable development of future society by pursue the activity in village of rural farming, fishing and mountain area. The program is held in Indonesia on February till March and held in Japan on August till September.

The program that I joined is SUIJI for IPB students at Situ Gede site. It did for two week with members ten students from Indonesia and four student from Japan. The theme of our activity is garbage management. So, from this blog I will show you what we did, what we learn and what we will do after the SUIJI program

At economy sector we did: 

1.    Making Dodol, making dodol are the Utilization of local wisdom (dodol/taro). It has a special quality than original one. The problem are: It takes long time and hardworking, the box design need to be improved (put the situgede lake picture to show that dodol are from situgede), need more employee. 

2.   Making Origomi, we learn how to made anorganic trash to be a valuable thing by doing origomi. It also can decrease the anorganic trash from the village. But the product need special market cause the villager sold it with high price for their good creation. Unfortunately only several or little people who interested to the product. From the activity we made some advice to the villager like the origomi has to increase their quality, so its not easily broken. Because when its broken, it’ll be a trash again. We also thought that they need a next generation to continue for making origomi.

At society sector we did: 

1.    Walking around the village to interviewed about garbage management at Situ Gede site. From the activity we felt that the villager was very kind cause they accepted us and gave us some local snacks and fruits. We saw that there are good connection between neighbourhood and visitors. The problem we found were: because its so many vehicle in village, it’ll be danger for children.

2.    Playing traditional game with children, the traditional game are like congklak, engklek dan jump rope. The games can make the children become active and healthy. There are something meaningful messege from the game like they learn how to communicate naturally with their friends, because now most of the children only busy with their own gadget.

3.    Visiting Kornita Senior High School, when we visited Kornita Senior high school we did presentation about SUIJI Program, Japanese culture and garbage education. The students so interested and appriciate for this event. After that we (The IPB and Japanese students also learn about Indonesia culture. We learn how to play degung. The Kornita students showed us how to played it. Every SUIJI member so excited because it was their first experience to play the instrument.

4.  Visiting Posyandu, SUIJI member made about 1000 birds for baby health and happiness. To made the birds we neeeded a long time so from that we learn how to managed our time beside have to worked with our program.

At environment sector we did: 

1.       Garbage education, we did socialisation about how to manage our garbage by sparated the organic and anorganic garbage. We also showed how Japanese government can did garbage revolution to make their country beauty and clean.

a.    Kindergarten

b.    Elementary School

c.    Senior High School

d.    Pengajian

2.       Cleaning the village by doing “Kerja Bakti” . We collected the trash at the village with the villager in Friday Clean Event. So many trash aroud the street. People just throw their pack after eating snack. But we really sad when we saw only few people attended this event. They also only cleaned their own field. In future we hope the civil officer can make a good regulation on Friday Clean Event so every villager aware of their environment.

3.       Cleaning the Posyandu. The name of Posyandu at Situgede village is Kenanga Posyandu. The Condition of the posyandu was good enough but the roof of the exam room was broken. It needed to be fix by the civil officer. We cleaned all of the surface cause there were so much dust in Kenanga Posyandu. The activity that villagers do in Posyandu are measure the babies weight, vaccination, and distribute the babies foods like milk and biscuit. In our opinion after looking around in the Kenanga Posyandu that the Posyandu need new cupboard for the books and other equipments, and also the Posyandu need new tools like digital weight measure tool, high measure and many others. After the activity we took photo together in front of Kenanga Posyandu with Mrs. Salikan. Before we go home we buy ice cream cause the weatheris so hot. When we will throw the trash to trash box we find that the villagers mix the organic and anorganic garbage even there is a notice for organic and anorganic place. Maybe the villagers don’t know what is the difference between both of them so we think that it need to give explanation board about organic and anorganic garbage.

4.       Made event “Gomi Ondukai”. On Gomi Ondukai event we cooperated with Carang Pulang Elementary School. Gomi Ondukai mean garbage festival by did a game. The game rule was made a team and competed with another group to collectec sparated garbage like organic, plastic and other trash around the school. The winner was group who collected the most much sparated garbage in 60 minutes. From the event we teached the children to aware their environment and always sparated their garbage. We also gave the school three garbage box that have cute monster pictures. The Japanese student told us that the monster will disturb you if you don’t throw the trash on the right place.

our final goal was making a good garbage management by doing bank sampah. By interviewing the villagers we discussed the result with the leader of the RT and RW

So from activities we did we learn so many things, specially about how to be servant leader. I think it is so hard to make the villagers aware their own environment, but we don’t give up to teach them how to manage the garbage wisely. At this event we also learn about the villager society, their kind humanism, and the traditional food. We really lucky can to be one of SUIJI member. If you want to be like us, just join and do your best!