Our Journey begins. As arranged by Kang Deny Nur Alam, Protégé Fahmiy, Arrishya, Amar, Zayid, Faaris, Sofian and Afif, their learning journey Indonessia started from Jakarta to Rangkasbitung, Lebak Banten and next Ciboleger to explore Baduy Village, Kadu Ketug. Early morning on 27 July 2019, Mentor Kang Deny Nur Alam was already in the lobby of Swiss-Bell Hotel waiting for Protégé in a 12-seater rental elf.Arriving at Ciboleger, Protégé was welcomed by the head of Ciboleger, Baduy Luar with a special drink. We drank from bamboo and we were served dinner at his home. A very simple dinner. Baduy men who will be the guide to protégé have begun to arrive. These Baduy men will serve as porter too during our journey exploring Baduy villages.Baduy people also called Kanekes can be identified from their clothes. Outer Baduy (Baduy Luar) wears colourful black clothes and headbands, but also modern clothes, while Inner Baduy (Baduy Dalam) wears white clothing and white headbands.

Night came, we eat together, chatting with the people of Kanekes while drinking coffee. After dinner, Protégé was entertained with Baduy cultural music and singing. Protégé had the opportunity to play every musical instrument.Before going to sleep, Protege received a lecture on nature conservation from the village head of Kadu Ketug, he reminded Protege about protecting nature. According to him most humans only know how to destroy the environment and nature.

The saying from Baduy is very relevant to the current situation. The saying ‘gunung ulah dilebur, lebak ulah dirusak’. Which means ‘Don’t destroy the mountains, don’t damaged the lowlands.’

Meanwhile, Protégé also discussed with the Village Head about Baduy culture and philosophy. Fortunately, this trip was programmed in July. From February to April, Inner Baduy is closed to outsiders because Kanekes perform fasting and refrain from going out of the streets of Inner Baduy (Kawalu month). Actually not necessarily in February to April. Determination of the Kawalu month is determined from the planting season and harvest season. If the planting season is delayed, the harvest season is also delayed. In these months most Kanekes people spend their time indoors. If you visit during Kawalu month, visitors can only explore the Outer Baduy. After trekking for an hour the scenery is still typical of the outer Baduy houses. As we know baduy is divided into two, yes, Outer Baduy (Baduy Luar) and Inner Baduy (Baduy Dalam) (Kanekes). Outer Baduy (Baduy Luar) is people of Inner Baduy (Baduy Dalam) who are no longer accepted by Inner Baduy (Baduy Dalam) people because they have violated adat or been touched by modernization. Can be seen while trekking, there are some people who wear T-shirts, their houses are used as stalls/stalls, use buckets, and others. They are scattered in Cikadu, Kaduketuk, Kadukolot, Gajeboh, Cisagu, and so forth. But still, Outer Baduy (Baduy Luar) are still very much follows their customs or adat as much as possible. The shape of the house is still the same as Inner Baduy (Baduy Dalam) and they also weave.

2-3 hours through the village of Gajeboh to the hiking trail., knee feels very hot, breathing up and down and shoulders start aching. The trails are made up of many turns, up hills and downhills.

After 2 to 3 hours there already rarely houses to be seen. There is no visible field here. Protégé had a short break. No worries, if we run out of drinking water, there are Baduy people selling along this trekking path. Coconut water is sold there too. There is something unique here. They sell snacks, sachets and even popular instant noodles.

The river is clean. Bridges are made of bamboo. The cooling water of the river is the remedy for every ache. The path home is no less challenging because the road is dangerous. It is narrow and without a gutter. The weather is getting hotter, the sun is right over our head. We head back to have lunch at one of the community homes.

– Roslinah Rajab

Achmad Fadzil is a regional social entrepreneur operating out of Singapore and has been involved in youth mentoring for the past 20 years. He is the Founder of ClubEX Impacteur, an online progressive lifestyle portal that optimises the life of changemakers and social entrepreneurs to digitize and grow their initiatives.

Akhyari Hananto is the Founder & CEO of Good News From Indonesia. Good News From Indonesia (GNFI) is a growing and influential social media movement and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine and Anugerah Komunikasi Indonesia 2015 from Ministry of Communications and Informatics.  Akhyari Hananto is also the founder of Seasia.

The Suit Guy

“I began my career in the banking industry in 1997 and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boosts my knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta.”

Akhyari Hananto believes that if the pride had been lost, then hopes for the future could also fade, and eventually, pessimism would spread. 

Rolling up the sleeves

“When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken areas in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, I continued my career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where I have to deal with an extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution throughout eastern Indonesia.”

The Writer and the Sociopreneur

“I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine and Anugerah Komunikasi Indonesia 2015 from Ministry of Communications and Informatics. I also founded Seasia (Good News From Southeast Asia) in December 2016 and now begins graining strong attention.
I managed multi-platforms of social media accounts with over 2,000,000 followers and 50,000,000 monthly impressions.

I wrote a book on “Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007”, “Good News From Indonesia: Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di Dunia” that was launched in August 2013, and “Indonesia Bersyukur” launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released and I was one of the writers; “Indonesia Pelangi Dunia”, “Indonesia The Untold Stories” and “Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan”

The Internet changes the way we think about the information

The Internet changes the way we think. It can put us in the present tense and everything that happened in the past or happening in the future becomes less relevant. The forming of  GNFI was based on the general observation that more news that was delivered and presented daily in the mass media about Indonesia was almost negative.  It can be provocative at times that unwittingly, undermined the pride of Indonesian.

Akhyari Hananto believes that if the pride had been lost, then hopes for the future could also fade, and eventually, pessimism would spread.

Friska Titi Nova is a literacy activist and librarian. Friska, also known as Kak Peri, is currently managing the Pustakawan Mendunia website and compiling storybooks for children. She enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge about librarianship, storytelling and literacy.

Reading and be a reading activist has been part of Friska’s enthusiasm for years. Her reading interest initiated her to determine library studies as the starting point of her life path. Children’s education and spreading positive hope always become Friska’s concern in her out of number pro bono actions she did since her college time in 2005.

Numerous voluntary actions related to library and children education have been done by Friska in Depok & Bekasi (West Java Province), Ciliwung (DKI Jakarta), Timika & Jayapura (Papua Province), and Batam (Riau Islands Province). She inducted training for library management, educated volunteers how to teach in fun but insightful ways for children and to developed amusing, contextual teaching materials for students, lead creative program division’s members, held storytelling sessions, and persuaded children to never give up in reaching their dreams through education.

Aside from her voluntary action, Friska works as a librarian. She had experience working 5 years in primary and secondary school for Papuan natives in Timika, Papua Province. A challenging work how to encourage students who mostly came from a mountainous area, where they have no idea what is a book title, what is an author because there is no book and book store available in their village.

Through innovative and well-prepared library session both in primary and secondary school, Friska devoted her focus to designing ingenious method how to engage Papuan students in enjoying reading.

Her endeavours as a reading activist in Timika, Papua Province both as a professional and involuntary action were acknowledged extraordinary by Library and Archives Department of Mimika Regency in Papua Province. Friska was selected as Mimika Regency’s representative in Papua Province’s Most Potential Librarian’s Competition in 2017. She won second place in the competition in Jayapura and resolved to do something more in her expertise and that’s how Pustakawan Mendunia comes as her vision.

Pustakawan Mendunia’s vision to be a non-profit organization to inspire children and share literacy strategies for world peace. This vision is manifested to its mission: Pustakawan Terus Belajar (Librarians to Keep Learning), Pustakawan Kreatif (Creative Librarians), and Pustakawan Mengajarkan Nilai-Nilai Kebaikan (Librarians Share Kindness and Love). Pustakawan Mendunia website could be visited in http://pustakawanmendunia.org

Khairul Asyraf is a Singapore Sports Entrepreneur who runs 2 Touch International Pte Ltd.  Presently based in Jakarta, Khairul leads the sports management consultancy, Northcliff Sport or PT. Gelora Olahraga Selaras, a joint venture between 2 Touch International Pte Ltd and Northcliff Capital Indonesia.

2 Touch International is responsible for all aspects of player development (ages 3 to 21) – coaching structure and planning, player signing/retention/release, and mentoring, endorsements and feedback presentations, sponsorship. We are very involved in all phases of development and football education and similar services are also crafted for Indonesia.

“We are very involved in all phases of development and football education. Similar services are also crafted for Indonesia.”

2 Touch International started off as a football education provider; players and coaches. It then moved along to organise events, regional events as well and is still the organiser of the biggest futsal event in Singapore that is the Berita Harian National Futsal Championship in 2017. 

What kinds of insights have you gained over the years that you might communicate to a parent of a young football player?

“For parents to accept a football playing career for their child in tandem with academic success is a difficult proposition.  They have this mindset that there is no guarantee that a young player will make a successful career out of football.  This mindset should change because sports teaches a lot of life skills and that is essential in the development of each child. So stopping the interest in pursuing sports comes from the perception that there is no economic advantage as a sportsperson. When we were running the programs in Singapore, the challenges that we faced was that we were competing with the academic chase when in fact sports should be complementary in the development of a young child.  So basically the sporting ambitions were compromised.  On the other hand, the football parents continued to support their children in a way that fills them with optimism so that they can achieve their goals. It is very important that a child believes they can achieve their goals because ability and motivation without optimism will never be enough.” 

Samuel Tabuni, a community champion and a political leader. Holding several important positions in various organizations, he represents his community in the various councils and institutes.

In 2018, Samuel Tabuni was appointed as a consultant of UNODC for Papua and West Papua provinces. Working as the Head of the Representative Office of the Papuan Desk of the Ministry of National Planning in Papua province, he helps solve the various critical issues facing the local population.

Samuel Tabuni is also the Secretary of the Center for Educational Assessment, Indonesian Christian Intelligence Association (PIKI), Regional Leadership Council (DPD), Papua Province since 2017. In the same year till date, he also chairs the Papuan Scholars Alumni Java and Bali Organization in the Papua province of Indonesia.

A long-time spokesman of the Ugimba Tribe Community Institute since 2007, Samuel Tabuni has participated in international education networking trips to Cameroon, Kenya, USA, England, Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Since 2013, Samuel Tabuni is also the founder and CEO of the Maga Education Papua Foundation and also holds the same position in the Papua Language Institute. Papua Language Institute (PLI) represents Papua’s solution to the growing demands of globalization and the resulting internationalization of Papua.

“Bahasa daerahmu adalah salah satu kunci untuk memberitahukan kepada dunia, siapa diri kamu dan darimana kamu berasal. Orang Papua harus bisa berbahasa daerah, jangan pernah malu untuk berbahasa daerah karena itu jati dirimu.”

“Globalization intensifies the need for coexistence with different cultures and civilization as well as international cooperation. After, Asian Free Trade Area (AFTA) that proclaimed growing rapidly since 2003 will impact the Indonesian nation especially Papua Province and West Papua as a member of the global community; at the same time, we rediscovered the need for dissemination of information overseas and the importance of the English language as a tool to achieve this goal.” says Samuel Tabuni.

According to Samuel Tabuni, Papua young people are “inward-oriented”, which can be seen from the decreasing number of high school and university students studying abroad. This inward-mindedness is caused by not only young people’s mind but also by various other factors; however, in the modern society with deepening international competition and coexistence, it is extremely important to develop human resources for activities on a global scale through acquiring language skills and accumulating cross-culture experiences.

On the other hand, Bapak Samuel Tabuni also believes the importance of saving Papuan living languages. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Papua is its linguistic diversity.

“Bahasa daerahmu adalah salah satu kunci untuk memberitahukan kepada dunia, siapa diri kamu dan darimana kamu berasal. Orang Papua harus bisa berbahasa daerah, jangan pernah malu untuk berbahasa daerah karena itu jati dirimu.” ~ Samuel Tabuni

Dr.Ir Muhammad Asrurifak is a National earthquake expert and Member of the Indonesia Disaster Mitigation Research Center ITB (Anggota Pusat Penelitian Mitigasi Bencana Indonesia ITB).

“Be prepared before disaster strikes.”

Dr Ir Muhammad Asrurifak is one of the few seismic map experts in Indonesia. The award-winning Master of Geotechnical has been appointed in the Indonesia Earthquake Map Revision Team National Team and various roles and other positions in the Ministry of Public Works

“Earthquakes don’t kill people, collapsing buildings do”

Whether it be an earthquake, volcano eruption, flood, the situation has the potential to create chaos and confusion. Unlike floods, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions, specific earthquakes cannot be predicted with the short-term accuracy required for effective emergency management. The science is now capable of identifying where earthquakes will happen and how big they might be, but such forecasts are valid only for intervals measured in decades or even centuries. Hence it is important to be prepared before disaster strikes. The risk of disasters can be reduced to minimize their impact through disaster mitigation and reduction efforts. Preparation and rapid emergency response are therefore the bulwarks of a good seismic defence. Dr Ir Muhammad Asrurifak believes research and technology play pivotal roles for us when working to help reduce the risk for earthquake loss through education and mitigation.

Dr.Ir Muhammad Asrurifak Lectures at Al Zaytun Yayasan Pesantren Indonesia & Institut Sains dan Teknologi Nasional – ISTN.

Dr.Ir Muhammad Asrurifak is the MT, Badan Pengendali Pembangunan Lembaga Kesejahteraan Masjid (LKM) Masjid Rahmatan Lil Alamin, Al Zaytun and member in the team of engineers and architects responsible to the building of Al Zaytun Institution and Masjid Rahmatan Lil Alamin. (Raft Foundation or “Pondasi Kapal” used to the entire contact area of the structure, installed to each building so to reduce the earthquake-generated forces acting upon it – when time of an earthquake)

By Amiruddin Rasedin

En Ahmad Ruzizan Maphilindo Bin Mohd Isa is the Founder and Chairman of Al-Tarbiyah Malaysia Foundation, having established the foundation in August 2010.

“I dream a dream beyond imagination.”

A strong advocator of national aspirations of Malaysia, he has made education and development of human capital to be at the core of all the foundation’s activities, in line with the meaning of the Arabic word ‘Al-Tarbiyah’ which is the name of the foundation.

Developing human capital needs strong financial support and hence he has led the foundation towards strengthening both its human development and economic programmes.

He has always stressed the importance of building a strong network and working with strategic partners and through various alliances has managed to develop various programmes which are community-centric and his focal idea of achieving the national aspirations has garnered support from various sectors of the community as well as government agencies.

Through a number of working partnerships that he initiated, various programmes have been carried out throughout the Nation, amongst which are:

Sustainable Community Development Initiatives (MAMPAN)

MAMPAN Forum & Expo was started in 2014 and then followed by National Tour of MAMPAN Forum & Expo from 2016, as part of a sustainable development campaign involving various sectors of the general public with the support of government agencies.  Through these events a number of initiatives have been implemented to get members from a wide segment of the community to engage in various activities such as agriculture training in schools, reactivation of fish ponds, beach cleaning, replanting of trees, recycling of waste, various sustainable development workshops, etc.

Entrepreneurship Development (JASA)

Jamin Sustainability Academy (JASA) was established to be the training arm of the foundation and to take part in promoting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Malaysia.  JASA shall become a licensed training body for TVET programmes under the purview of the Department of Skills Development.

Food Security (KOJAMIN)

En Ahmad Ruzizan Maphilindo had also initiated the establishment of a cooperative by the name of Koperasi Jaringan Muamalat Integrity Selangor Berhad (KOJAMIN) to carry out the business of wholesale and retail of household items, especially food.  This is in line with his aspiration of establishing a strong supply chain network in support of locally produced food which is cultivated in good sustainable practices.  KOJAMIN has recently launched Jaminstore.com, an online retail shop in support of the said purpose.

Healthy Lifestyle (ACT)

“Being healthy makes your knowledge more beneficial and wealth more valuable.”

Apart from education and economic activities En Ahmad Ruzizan Maphilindo also saw the importance of a healthy lifestyle as part of community culture and had established the formation of Associated Cylclosportif Trekkers (ACT). Since its formation, ACT  has organised numerous cycling tours throughout the nations promoting a healthy lifestyle and campaigning the love for the Nation, unity and safeguarding the country’s abundant natural resources.

Culture and Arts (ISPEN)

En Ahmad Ruzizan Maphilindo also co-founded the establishment of Ikatan Seniman Perpaduan Nasional (ISPEN). ISPEN aspires to associate people of culture and art interests together with established artists to carry out various cultural and arts activities promoting national unity and social integration.

Us taking care of nature, because nature takes care of us.

“Hari Hari Untuk Bumi”

“This is my way of protecting our jungles.” Puan Sri To’ Puan Datuk Shariffa Syed Akil

Puan Sri To’ Puan Datuk Shariffa Syed Akil is the president of The Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (better know as PEKA), has for years been vocal about illegal logging and deforestation in Malaysia.  Her determination is so strong that she even bought plots of jungle land to keep them safe from the clutches of illegal loggers. She is on an extremely challenging mission to save Mother Nature.

The Woman who bought a piece of a jungle in Malaysia.

Tanah Aina is a Journey of a Malaysian woman to retrieve her voice and her soul.

Puan Sri To’ Puan Datuk Shariffa Syed Akil is the founder of Tanah Aina Resorts and the founder of Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (PEKA Malaysia). Tanah Aina and other conservation projects by Peka are aimed to create environmental awareness among the people and encourage the younger generation to enjoy and respect mother nature. Protecting the rivers and ensuring access to a clean water source are the environmental causes that she fights for the most.

Tanah Aina has always been and shall always be about preserving and conserving Mother Nature. The tropical jungle is a treasure chest of mystery.

“I was just a little girl with a dream. I grew up in Penang, a city girl. My grandmother was all I had. she was everything to me. I lost her at the tender age of eleven.

Despite this, I continued to imagine that I would own a home in the mountain, near waterfalls, where rivers would flow free. I imagined a home by the beach where I would spend my time reading and exploring the universe in books, Every child is born pure. Every child is born with the seed of a voice. Society tries to tame this voice. Society tries so hard to condition us. I believe I was born with a voice. But somewhere I lost it.

What started out as an initiative to protect the jungle, ended up as a jungle resort connecting people to nature.

I built Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya in the jungle of Pahang, along with Tanah Aina Farhana, (Desaru, Johor), Tanah Aina Fareena, Tanah Aina Farouq, Tanah Aina Azareena restaurant and Tanah Aina Fahad, and also Tanah Aina Azfer in Selangor and Tanah Aina Cafe in Shah Alam,

I am Aina, a Malaysian with nothing more than just the most basic education. I suppose I would describe myself as sophisticatedly uneducated.”

Dr Fadzil Bin Jaafar’s 19 years as General Practitioner have included acute and emergency medicine, field medicine (peacetime/disaster medical), mobile & aviation medicine (bed to bed transfer of patients via air, land, and sea).

Graduated medical school in 1991 in his hometown, Singapore. Dr Fadzil worked in various hospitals before leaving the Ministry of Health in 2000. Started doing Medical Evacuations since then and opened his own solo practice, Albarakah Clinic & Surgery in 2001.

Today Dr Fadzil juggles his clinical work with Air Medical Evacuation. Ferrying stable as well as sick ventilated patients from anywhere in the world on board Air Ambulances and Commercial Flights.

Dr Fadzil Jaafar, who is also a pilot, explained what a medivac (medical evacuation) is.

When someone is sick or injured while working or sightseeing overseas, they may need to be transported back to their home country, or to another country with a better standard of care, they may be bedridden or have an unstable condition requiring oxygen or regular medications. When they cannot or it is unsafe for them to travel alone, that’s where a medical team with mobile medication and equipment comes in to facilitate their transfer.

About Dr Fadzil’s involvement with overseas medical relief missions

Outside of clinical work, Dr Fadzil believes in contributing back to the community. He was involved in a medical relief mission to Aceh following the aftermath of the tsunami. Since then Dr Fadzil has been involved in a number of medical relief mission activities in the region throughout the years and recently to Lombok, Indonesia Post Earthquake August and October 2018.

1. Would you share with us your personal mission as a doctor?

Alhamdulillah, I’ve had the blessing of doing different types of missions over the years. These included post Disasters like Tsunami in Aceh, Flood relief in Kelantan and Penang, Earthquakes in Lombok, Humanitarian Relief like the Rohingya Crisis in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh Peacetime Medical Outreach doing Health Screening and Circumcisions in Cambodia.

2. You have been a part of many mission trips to low resource settings. Tell me what you’ve learned?

I have learned a lot. Shukur / Gratitude for the many blessings that we are given. That we are not tried severely as the community that we are helping. We are visitors, we come for a few days, contribute what little we can and then we leave. Whereas whoever we are helping have no choice but to stay and face the challenges we leave behind.-Not to waste. Food, Water especially as these are resources that are scarce in places we do Missions at, yet take for granted when we are home. You see children fighting for scraps of food or even wrappers when it has dropped to the ground. It’s heartbreaking memories like this that make me think twice about leaving unfinished food or drink when I’m back home

– Patience / Selflessness. Despite the challenges faced, the community affected by disasters, calamity remained calm. Strive to survive with so little and are generous with what they have especially to foreigners that come to help them. They put your needs first before theirs.

– Respect for local culture and work ethics. Often when you go to places that are less developed, they have a more relaxed pace and lifestyle while we are used to fast-paced work and efficiency. It can be challenging working with the locals. Their 10 minutes can be Pluto time. They can say things like ‘it will be done now, and you are happy till they add in 10 minutes at the end of their sentence, where their 10 minutes is…You have to keep reminding yourself to slow down and go with their flow. That can be a little hard to do for us.

– Importance of Family. When you have not much, there are also fewer distractions. All you have is your loved ones and family. They are the ones that mattered. They keep you whole and happy no matter what challenges you face that bring you down. You learn the meaning of ‘things; you use, people; you love’. ~When you go on missions, ~ lots of people tend to get this mixed up.

Lastly, something I always remind myself, it is not us helping them but they are helping us. They gave us the opportunity to do good, to get closer to Allah, to show Allah our effort and sacrifice to make things a little better for others, in the hope of receiving His love and blessings and make things better for us in this life and in the hereafter