PROGRAM ON EDUCATION AND LITERACY

Still Illiterate, How Could?

At GKS Kanjonga Bakul, On November 20 – 22, 2015

‘Long live education’, a term that we often hear, and it is a slogan for those who realize that the process of learning and education is important because it is the gate to know the world around him/her. Learning is not limited by age and gender, which means that this process should be experienced by every one.

The awareness of the importance of education should be the principle of society, especially in Sumba, an island in the province of NTT which has many potencies of natural resource and cultural diversity as well-known for "Island of Marapu". It is an irony of course when the natural and cultural wealth is not matched with the intellectual richness and competency of its human resource. The NTT’s statistics data in 2013, showed that 240.000 residents of East Sumba or 11% are still illiterate. This group is a group  of ages above 10 years. The great number of illiterate residents in Sumba is a phenomenon that needs special attention. This situation could be one of factors that causes underdevelopment in various fields.

The solutions to eradicate illiteracy and to promote education is the responsibility of all stakeholders. As an institution that focused on social problems, especially education, Stube-HEMAT Sumba is expected to find solution and answer related with education in Sumba through a training on Education and Literacy with the theme "Still Illiterate, How Could?” A training which oriented to students and church youth was held on November 20-22, 2015 at GKS Kanjonga Bakul, Praihambuli, East Sumba. The training was attended by 30 student participants from STIE Kriswina Sumba, STT GKS Lewa, STT Terpadu, Waingapu, Sumba Sandlewood Academy and some church youth in East Sumba.

The facilitator in this training, such as Frans Wora Hebi, a cultural practitioner who has written some articles about the potency and culture of Sumba until today. He has expectations to young people not to lose their identity with a touch of Sumba culture and preserve it through times. Another facilitatort was Yanto Njuka Tehik, SE, M.Sc., an activists of Stube-HEMAT Sumba when he was a student and currently  he becomes a lecturer at STIE Kriswina, Sumba. He encouraged young people to be the initiator of improvement of education quality that can be started from themselves by reading and writing as their habbits. The Department of Youth Education and Sports in East Sumba region, talked about the condition of education in East Sumba and the process of identifying illiterate people.

The participants’ responses in this training is very good. Their enthusiasm was seen during the question and answer session in order to reveal more information and answer the curiosity of the participants about Sumba culture. One of the follow-up activities of the training was a collection of participants writings about folklore and culture of Sumba. This collection of writings will be compiled into a children's book reading. The book of folklore is expected to attract people to read and to be a solution to eradicate illiteracy, even the community know their own culture from early age. (DUD).