Children, Next Generation As National Asset

Village and Me Program

Children are human beings or individuals having various inner potencies that need to be developed in their lives. They are also next generation of leadership for this nation, therefore, they need to be trained and guided to develop their ideas. The understanding on how valuable a child is not yet fully understood by every parents.

One of the social problems that occurred in Rakawatu village, my home village, is the lack of concern of parents to children's education. This situation does not support children's intellectual development as the next generation of Sumba as well as this nation. They should get chance and strong support from their parents for proper and good education. This is a challenge for me from Rakawatu to do something useful for the children in my village during college breaks. Finally, I encouraged myself to propose as participant in ‘Village and Me’ program, one of Stube-HEMAT Sumba programs.

Stube-HEMAT Sumba is a youth and student mentoring institution in Sumba that concern in building awareness to understand the surroundings problems. ‘Village & Me’ program provided opportunities for young people and students to develop themselves and understand social issues around them by sending students back to their villages to carry out activities that benefit for the community.

After several meetings and discussions with Stube-HEMAT Sumba team about the program, finally on August 1, 2018, Stube-HEMAT Sumba sent me to Sumba Christian Church (GKS) of Rakawatu, Lewa to carry out activities for children in my village. I wanted to share and learn with Sunday school children at GKS Rakawatu.

I designed an activity that can be a media for children to express children's aspirations and self-actualization in arts, so that their ideas can be developed through their creativity. The activities were drawing, reading and colouring competitions. The drawing competition was attended by students of grade V-VI, the reading competition was attended by students of grade III-VI, and the colouring competition was followed by pre-school children to grade II.

As a Biology student, I also shared knowledge on how to make bokashi fertilizer and animal feed nutrition with farmers in my village. In addition to make it practical and simple, the ingredients used are available around the house. By having skills to make their own fertilizer, the farmers were expected to reduce cost of fertilizers, furthermore the fertilizers were also environmentally friendly organic fertilizer. Livestock is one of the family's incomes, so by increasing nutrition made from local ingredients such as bananas buds and palm sugar, the livestocks will be healthier and growing well, so that the selling price will also increase.

Rev. Benyamin Melip, S.Th, the local pastor appreciated this activity and said, "Through this activity the children may grow their confidence to participate in competitions, be self-support and have critical thinking, and next be more creative to develop their ideas."

Children are really individuals having various potencies and need guidance and assistance from their parents or adult through various positive activities. Even simple, these activities became media for children to develop their potencies and foster their learning motivation. (Naser Randa Hailu Poti).

*) Naser Randa Hailu Poti, Unkriswina student, Biology Education, live in Lewa Rakawatu, Lewa.