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Details Category: Pekka dalam berita Published on Tuesday, 04 October 2011 16:11 Written by Tempo Hits: 9931
The write to Read September 8 celebrates Literacy Day, an important event in Indonesia given the dismal record of literacy in the country. At the end of 2010 there were still 8.3 million people, or about 5 percent of the total population, still unable to read or write. Most of these illiterates are women over 45 years of age, and mostly living in eastern Indonesia. A number of non-governmental organizations have taken up the challenge of changing the situation. They are now teaching these women the basics of reading and writing so that they can, in turn, teach others the lessons they learned. The results have been encouraging, particularly where it has brought. improved standards of living. Tempo English Edition reports from West and East Nusa Tenggara provinces and West Sulawesi.
ILLITERACY exacerbates cycles of poverty, ill health and deprivation." This is what UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon had to say at the commemoration of International Literacy Day on 8 September. He said that if it is not tackled, illiteracy can weaken communities and damage the democratic process. "These and other impacts can combine to destabilize societies," he warned. At the end of 2010 around 8.3 million people, or approximately 5 percent of the total population in Indonesia, were still illiterate. Deputy National Education Minister Fasli Jalal says the highest percentage of illiteracy occurs in parts of eastern Indonesia such as in Papua, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and several parts of Sulawesi. The cause? “In the past these areas were backward. Many children did not go to school or dropped out if they did go," he said. The group most vulnerable to illiteracy is made up of village women aged 45 or above. "In the past, it was considered women did not need schooling," said Muhammad Natsir, a Mataram University Lecturer, explaining this. These women are eventually subjected to various forms of social, legal as well as economic discrimination. This is the group that has now become the primary target of the NGO Pemberdayaan Perempuan Kepala Keluarga (PEKKA—-Empowerment of Women Family Heads). Reading and writing are vital parts of the programs of this organization, established in 2000. "With out that, all our programs would find it hard going," opined Sitti Zamraini Alauthi, 36, PEKKA Coordinator in NTB province. All the organization’s members are asked to gradually teach reading and writing to the illiterate. "These people usually prioritize making their living,-" commented PEKKA National Coordinator Nani Zulminarni. This is why reading and writing is usually taught in the midst of meetings about borrowing and lending. Using as a basis the possibility of borrowing or lending money, the women can be attracted to attend, rather than if they were openly asked to learn there. From this literacy training emerge those having the potential and the initiative to become teachers themselves. Such as Musinah, 36, a PEKKA member from Lingsar subdistrict in NTB. She did not complete her primary schooling but now teaches reading and writing in three villages. The same applies to Juimilah, a former housemaid from Batu Bolong Duduk village in_West Lombok, NTB. After taking training at a course she then even set up her own non-formal ‘school’ to teach reading and writing. Since 2003, Jumilah has succeeded in freeing 154 fellow villagers from the burden of illiteracy. Initiatives of people such as this are very helpful as most PEKKA training participants live in remote areas not reached by the government programs. So, how will the government go about eradicating illiteracy? Fasli Jalal says there are three ways. The first is to prevent new illiteracy by declaring compulsory education for a minimum of nine years. The result? "The percentage of illiterate 16-24-year-olds in 2010 has declined by 0.5%," he said. The second is to provide functional literacy activities, namely those that integrate reading and writing into other life and social skills activities. This will enable those taking part to improve their standard of living. "If they are only taught to read, write, and do arithmetic while these skills are never actually used on a daily basis, in six months they could go back to being illiterate," Jalal stressed. This method has also been adopted in various foundations. "We hold trainings in entrepreneurship. The participants must all be able to read and write," said Andry Pramono, coordinator of the Karampuang Education Foundation of West Sulawesi. The third step is to provide equivalent education for those who did not graduate from school so their compulsory nine years of schooling can still be obtained. Jalal says this year Indonesia’s profile is already quite good. "Of the around 15 million illiterate Indonesians in 2000 we now have only around 8 million left," he said. Nevertheless he admits that this number is still rather large, "Particularly for those aged 15 or older," he said. However, the results of the government’s performance to date can be regarded as still unsatisfactory. Mataram University Senate Secretary Agil Al Idrus says the government has already spent a lot of money but this has yet to do away with the high level of illiteracy. "The illiteracy programs are still incomplete and have been developed by individual institutions_ separately," he says. NTT education observer, John Manulangga, has suggested the provincial governments should not be solely dependent on central government funding for this. "To date we have not even yet met the agreed quota of 20 percent of the national budget that is to a be allocated for education," he said.
Women Helping Women For the women who joined PEKKA, the Empowerment of Women Family Heads organization, their world has opened up after having learned to read, write, and do arithmetic. These are their stories. KAMSINAH Palan Bolen held an elderly lady’s hand, then slowly guided it to form the first letter of the woman’s name. “Ma’am, this is the way we write the letter ‘L’," she said, demonstrating how to spell out the name Lucia. “They’re like kindergarten children; they have to be shown from the very beginning," she said. The following month, Kamsinah tests them again. "I follow their development. Usually some will remember how to do their first names, although once I mix up the letters, _they become confused again," she told us. This 40-year-old woman is a women’s motivator who comes from Redontena village, Kelubagolit subdistrict, Adonara in East Nusa Tenggara province (NTT). Sitti Zamraini Alauthi alias Reni, 40, has had somewhat different experiences. She usually teaches illiterate mothers living in three subdistricts in Central and West Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province (NTB). Reni says what she teaches them generally relates to their daily lives. For instance, how to write the word bems for rice. “After that, I tell them to make up a sentence using the word bems," Reni explained. Kamsinah and Reni are two of the members of the non-government organization PEKKA. It now operates in 18 provinces while the organizationns vision is to empower the women heads of families who are often badly treated by discrimination affecting their sociopolitical rights in daily life; NTB and NTT are the two provinces that are the areas—according to PEKKA’s records— with the largest number of poor families. "Poverty correlates very strongly with the level of illiteracy," says PE-KKA National Coordinator Nani Zulminarni. The Human Development Index in NTB is the second lowest within the nation. The level of literacy in the province stands at 83.8 percent, ranked 32nd nationally. Some of the population of NTT, still around 3.95 percent, are completely illiterate. Hence, PEKKA regards teaching others to read and write as vital. “Without having acquired those skills all our other programs find it hard to make any headway," said Reni. She says it is impossible for the women ‘ to organize themselves and to manage a group while they remain illiterate. However, getting them to realize the importance of being able to read and write is initially very difficult. "They place greater importance on meeting their economic needs rather than their education," says Reni. The teachers finally came up with this masterful trick: they never say they are going to teach the women to read. Reni usually invites the organization’s members to meet in order to discuss the possibility of a thrift club for savings and loans activities. "During those meetings, I teach them how to write," she said. It was only in 2007 that PEKKA NTB finally had formal functional literacy training. "The women are taught reading and writing through integrating other material into their lessons, for instance on law or local customs and culture," she said. Petronella Masi Suban, 41, PEKKA NTT Head of Education Division, has her own way of attracting the mothers to learn to read and write. That is, she ‘forces’ them to sign an attendance register at every meeting. "In that way I slowly get them to write their own names, learn the letters, and then string words together to form sentences," said the woman who was herself born in Kelubagolit sub district, Adonara. The women who have already begun to master reading and writing are then asked to motivate their friends. " Their friends enthusiastically ask to learn, too," says Kamsinah. Many of those who were formerly illiterate are now volunteering to teach their friends. "This (their teaching) is a source of pride for them in itself," says Reni. Musinah, 36, is just one example of this. This Karambayan villager, living in the Lingsar sub district of NTB says: "I never finished primary school so I forgot how to read and write," she said. After taking various courses, this mother of two became inspired to teach, starting in 2005. “I am very happy that I can teach," she told us. She teaches on average one hour for each session. "I break the lesson up by having a singalong with the ladies if they lose interest," she added. Musinah has completely opened up her home for her teaching activities. She also teaches at two other villages. "I tell the ladies that they’re welcome if they do want to learn with me, but I have no money to give them," she said, laughing heartily. Be aware that government illiteracy eradication programs are usually accompanied by cash handouts for those willing to learn how to read and write. The village women say they feel more at ease when Musinah teaches them. "They say they can better understand what I am teaching compared to when the university students are doing their practical field work with them," said the grandmother of one, quoting her students. Apart from then having the capacity to read and write, these women are equipped with other skills, such as book—keeping, so they can now be independent and support their families; "The ladies can now work out whether their businesses are profitable,"’ said Masi Suban. With the funds they manage jointly with other members of their I group, the women become increasingly capable of standing on their own feet. Musinah, who used to work as a builder’s laborer now sells durian fruit thanks to the funding obtained from her savings and loans group. She also has a kiosk selling sundries. "I have just renovated my bathroom, kitchen, and study," said this woman who in the past did not even have a home. Ramelah, 40, is another example; she lives in Pondok Buah Desa Batu Kumbung village, West Lombok. Initially, she worked as a household servant, and then made a complete change of direction to become a dealer in fish hatchlings. The result? "I have been able to pay for my oldest child’s high school fees," she said. In NTT the women are taught practical politics so they then have the courage to express their aspirations. Kamsinah, the person in charge of PEKKA NTT’s political education division, says those participating are very enthusiastic. "Sometimes some people even have to write on the floor because the number of desks we have is limited," she said. Now the number of illiterate women in NTB has already dropped by half. "From the approximately 1,800 PEKKA members we now have, 53 percent were illiterate in 2003. Of that number now only 25 percent remain so," said Reni. Kamsinah also sees that the reading and writing education programs through non—formal schools have been very helpful. Says Kamsinah, "These women are now active in motivating their children to study, so they, too, will not be afflicted with the illiteracy their parents suffered in the past." Rolling Back the Years Learning has no boundaries, with classes for illiterate adults opening up throughout West Sulawesi. People who missed out on an education as a child now have the chance to make up on lost years. La Tuo, 65, looks sternly at the 30 X 40-centimeter board at the front of the class. His tutor is in the middle of writing a series of letters on the board. He begins copying the words into his book. He complains sometimes when the tutor writes words which aren’t relevant to him. "P1ease show us how to write ocean, fish _and net," said the fisherman, pleading with his tutor to teach words that would help his profession. The tutor happily obeys La Tuo’s wishes. He is a villager from Sampaga in Mamuju, West Sulawesi—and is currently learning how to read and count. He is not alone. There are 15 others who studied together Sunday last week. Their ages vary from their 30s until their 60s, both sexes. The women participants struggle more. Many of the women come to the class carrying children under 5 years old in their arms. Occasionally the children disrupt the class, which distracts the mother. "That is why you do not study when you are old and have children," another student jokingly said, followed by laughter from the whole class. The class uses makeshift facilities. Wooden chairs and plastic chairs are borrowed from other residents. The tables are planks of wood. There is no school; their classes move from one person’s house to another. Although the students aren’t young, their ambition is unwavering. "I want to be intelligent, I want to be able to read and to count like my children," said La Tuo. When asked if he was scared, he laughed. “There is not one word too scary for me to learn," he said. La Tuo admits he has never been educated. When he was young, his parents couldn’t afford to send him to school. Yuliana, 30, from the village of Kakulassang in Tommo has a different perspective. Yuliana concedes that she is embarrassed around people who can read. “I often get invited to meetings in the village hall. But because of my lack of reading skills, I am too scared to go," she said. After three months, Yuliana acknowledges she now has the confidence to go to events in the Balai. She has begun to connect letters, and can read sentences although it is still a bit stagnant. But Yuliana is content as she now has her own signature and can read receipts. "Now when I want to buy a cake at a market there won’t be any more confusion," she said cheerfully. Illiteracy eradication in the province has been spearheaded by the West Sulawesi Education Agency along with the Karampuang Foundation. The foundation is an NGO that campaigns for education and health. The agency established a relationship with this NGO in 2009. Both are heavily committed to wiping out illiteracy in the region. The Karanipuang Foundation is focused in three West Sulawesi districts; Marnuju, North Mamuju and Mamasa. Between 2009 and 2010, the number of - students they catered for was as high as 11,786 people. Some 6,740 of them were women. Karampuang Foundation Program Officer Sri Ayuningsih, 26, known as Yuyun in the community, concedes it’s not been easy to persuade people to study. "From the beginning, they didn’t want to learn as they felt embarrassed by how old they were,” she said. To tempt them, Yuyun tried a number at strategies. She noted that in most cases the citizens listen to their local government. So her team got every village leader involved to help convince the people. They also asked a number of religious leaders to assist in their pursuit. According to Yuyun, there are a number of reasons the residents were wary, albeit mainly economic. A large number of them work as farmers and fisherman. "They feel they study it would be a waste of time and their earnings," she said. They recruited a number of teachers and high school graduates to be the tutors. They then set up study groups in each village. In fact, even when these were-formed, Yuyun admits they still had a low attendance rate, as the pupils were too busy. To counter this, the tutors went directly to the houses to convince them to come back. "We made a new study schedule so everyone was able to attend," said Yuyun. Karampuang Foundation Education Coordinator Andry Pramono had another approach. The Education Agency devised a program called Independent Business Literacy, which is designed for candidates who want entrepreneurship training. "However the condition is you have to be literate to do the gourse," clarified Andry The residents’ desire to participate in this program made them want to learn how to read. Every three months the Karampuang Foundation evaluates the students. If they pass they are given a certificate to show they can read. The certificate is handed to them so they can then do the entrepreneurship training. A class for illiterate adults held below a resident’s house in Kal-culassang village, West Sulawesi. Head of the Education Agency Drs. Muhammad Jamil B. M.Pd said that since they started working with the NGO, the rate of illiteracy in the province has dramatically decreased. In 2008, the population of illiterate residents in West Sulawesi was 10.6 percent. In 2010, the rate went down to 6.4 percent. "In eradicating illiteracy, I worked with the NGO, because we have the same vision," he said. Jamil said that they collaborated with university students once, but most of them only wanted to fulfill their own objectives. According to J amil, economic growth in West Sulawesi depends greatly on the community’s educational background. “If the farmers don’t have sufficient schooling, then they could only perform manual farming," he said. Jamil hopes to have completely wiped out illiteracy in his local area by 2014. Inspirational Jumilah JumiIah’s school in West Lombok has succeeded in freeing 154 residents of her hamlet from illiteracy, spurring the people to secure work. Learn together Work together Ask together Perform jobs together It was a verse from the song sung by a group of children in Batu Bolong Duduk hamlet in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Gathered in a 6 x 6-meter open hall, Jumilah, 29, led the children’s singing while cradling her 18-month-old child. The straight-haired lady later taught writing and drawing to dozens of children aged from 3 to 8 who filled the room. The non-formal school activities at the Jumilah School, as it is known among the hamlet’s residents, take place every Sunday around 4pm. In the class, the children sit on the floor with wooden desks in front of them. "Singing would help them remember their lessons," said Jumilah. She established this informal school in 2004. Jumilah is a former housemaid and herself was illiterate as she never went to school as a child. Then, the Tunas Alam Indonesia Foundation (SANTAI) and Australian Development and Civil Sociality Strengthening Scheme (AC-CESS) conducted a poverty eradication program in her hamlet in 2003. The activities deeply aroused .J`umilah’s curiosity. So she diligently attended every meeting, including reading and writing A lessons. Every day she would wake up at 4am and quickly finish her chores so that she could follow the class which began at 2pm. "I took care of my kid’s needs and then rushed to my employer’s house," said the graduate of the government endorsed package A learning group (equal to elementary level). "At (home my kid helped me practice reading," she recalled. Her active participation in the program earned her a place as a member in the management team of Kahuripan, a local institution established by SANTAI and ACCESS. The focus of Kahuripan’s activities is education and small-scale business. There, she finally decided to quit her job as a housemaid and volunteered to teach reading and writing to illiterate residents. ,“Change must begin within ourselves. we cannot rely on someone else," she said recounting her experience Jumilah then encouraged her relatives in the hamlet to open a learning group. "I teach my friends who want to learn. Matters of funding never hinder me from my intention," she enthused. Today, Jumilah has succeeded in making 154 residents in her hamlet literate. Mahir, 50, one of the alumni of Jamilah School, said that now that he can read he is no longer vulnerable to manipulation.} The same holds true for Nasirun, 45. The cassava and cashew farmer can read and write after attending Jamilah School for a year. Both Mahir and Nasirun are now more confident in selling their produce. Kasirim, 38, chief of Batu Bolong Duduk hamlet, explained that limited access to the village had posed difficulties for the residents to interact with the outside. In the past, to reach Jumilah’s house, for example, people had to travel 2 kilometers, tracking along the riverbanks. Then there was the problem of electricity. Added to this was the worsening long drought during the dry season that caused poverty in the village.
These factors, said Kasirim, had rendered half of the 167 households in the hamlet illiterate. "But since 2010, this hamlet became easily accessible after new roads were made in the area for hotels and villas," he said enthusiastically.
The secretary of Batu Layar Barat village, Husnul Fuad, 36, acknowledged that the village of 1,600 hectares is a potential tourist destination. Thereare four hamlets, including Batu Bolong Duduk, in the Layar Barat region. In some hamlets the illiteracy rate is still high. “Those in their 30s basically never went to school," said Fuad. Even today it is not difficult to find elementary school drop outs in the hamlets. Now, with many of the residents freed from illiteracy and having found jobs, the village authorities can focus their attention more on‘early—age education. Non—formal early education helps kids when they go to primary school. That is what was experienced by the children from the Jumilah School in Batu Bolong Duduk hamlet. Rusli, one of the parents, claimed that his child can read fluently and has been admitted to elementary school earlier, as he attended Jumilah School since early age. Warsi, headmaster of the Batgu Layar State Elementary Scho•ol»agreed that first-grade students from Batu Bolong Duduk hamlet nowadays could read more fluently whereas the former ones could begin reading fluently only in the second grade. In her teaching, Jumilah——the mother of three—uses a very simple method, that is, singing the verses that she creates herself, and utilizing pictures and drawings. For example, the letter A is illustrated with regang (which means carrying a pole in the Sasak language) the letter B is with glasses and the letter C with agem (pincers). When it comes to counting, Jumilah uses multicolored marbles. When she finds lesson material she has not mastered, she is not hesitant to ask children who understand better, or makes it her homework. "They also teach simple English such as greetings, names of parts of the human body, colors, music, and theater," said Zurhan Apriadi, member of SANTAl’s research and development division. Jumilah teaches early—age kids: first and second grades of elementary schoolchildren. Her sister, Sapinah, 35, helps with teaching the third- up to sixth-grade kids. Being elected chairperson of Kahuripan in 2009 has made Jumilah more persistent in encouraging the residents to self-develop. After successfully facilitating the supply of clean water, she is now making efforts to get electricity to the hamlet. "Now a feasibility study for solar energy is underway because the State Electricity Company (PLN) has not realized it since 2005," she explained. Batu Bolong Duduk is located close to the tourist destination of Senggigi beach. Foreign tourists often pass by the hamlet. Some even drop by for quick sightseeing. Since they became literate, the residents have become more critical and are not gullible when they meet strangers who offer help out of the blue. Jumilah was once startled when she came across one of her students engrossed in a serious chat with a foreign tourist who dropped by at the hamlet. “In the past, they fled as soon as they were faced with tourists," she recalled. What is the most valuable experience she gained from literacy? According to Jumilah, being able to read empowers her and she is no longer prone to being cheated. She also acknowledges that it enables her to make decisions for her family. “My employer once pointed things at me using her feet. Now I feel I am being treated with respect and more humanely," she explained, her eyes moistening. Literacy has brought Jumilah the light of knowledge as well as respect from others. It is this experience that she is trying to give to other residents who want to learn. Tempo September 27,2011 < Prev
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