APTIK Community Service Program for Mentawai: Good Action for a Better Life Quality

3/10/2020 12:00:00 AM

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While university students participate in a Community Service Program (KKN), they demanded to bring their knowledge to illuminate and strengthen the community‘s potentials, hoping it could bring a better for them. Since 2017, the Catholic Higher Education Association (Asosiasi Perguruan Tinggi Katolik/APTIK) has been actively collaborating to improve the life quality of the Mentawai Islands community, by initiating the APTIK Community Service Program for Mentawai or KKN APTIK Peduli Mentawai (KKN APM).

 

The KKN APM has been going on for five batches. Each wave carries the same vision to which is to develop the Mentawai Islands and promote its potentials. The first and second waves focused on areal observation. The third wave focused on educating the community to process the local-source food commodity. The fourth wave‘s primary target was packaging training of the processed products. As for the fifth wave focused on packaging and marketing the products developed by the previous batches.

 

APTIK Community Service Program for Mentawai

 

Its fifth and final year to carry out the KKN Program in Katurei Village, which concluded on July 1st until 31st, 2019, involved forty-two students from eight catholic universities, members of APTIK. These universities are Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta, Musi Charitas Catholic University Palembang, Santo Thomas Catholic University Medan, Sanata Dharma University, Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya, Parahyangan Catholic University Bandung, and Soegijapranata Catholic University. On this batch, AJCUI delegate five selected students, namely Williem Halim (Engineering Faculty), Rafael Azarya (Engineering Faculty), Hermin Sarina (Education and Language Faculty), Yustina (Economic and Business Faculty), dan Amelia Kristofani (Psychology Faculty).

 

AJCUI delegates (Left-Right) Williem Halim, Rafael Azarya, Hermin Sarina, Yustina dan Amelia Kristofani.

 

Before departing, the delegates have to undergo a debriefing session to arm them with the necessary skills and knowledge. They also asked to prepare applicable programs to carry out in the Mentawai Islands, which maintain three main pillars: Education, Socio-Economic, and Health. In addition, the participants should also prepare personal programs linear to their respective majors; thus, they can apply their knowledge for the community‘s good.

 

Education is one of the main pillars in the APTIK Community Service Program for Mentawai

 

KKN APM held in Katurei Village, Southwest Siberut District. The participants then split into seven hamlets: the Tiop Hamlet, Matobat Hamlet, Dususn Atateitei Hamlet, Sarausau Hamlet, Makakadut Hamlet, Malilimok Hamlet, and Mapailingen Hamlet. These are also places of the program application designed in the five previous batches.

 

When the students first arrive at the village, they were touched by the warm welcome from residents as they feel like family members. The delegates stayed at residents’ houses for almost one month. They need to rhythmic with Mentawai people‘s lives and involve in their host family dynamic and community where they live.

 

During the KKN had to work together to overcome every obstacle. They need to set aside their urban lifestyle - particularly the gadget addiction, and respect local norms and deal with current conditions. The program taught the students valuable life lessons to the students rather than execute the plan. Furthermore, they urged to practice their soft skills by interacting with fellow students from other universities or with villagers, as well when speaking in public, and so on.

 

Participants Build Close Relationships with the Katurei Village Community

 

KKN APM is an awakening journey to see helpless regions in need form support from the public and the government as fellow humankind trying to march forward. It will be such a useful degree if one can use it to bring a greater good that is to encounter social issues and deliver a better life quality.

 

The participants learn that to bring a difference to society, every individual should start with themselves and not always with something big. Being an agent of change can be done through a simple-impactful act to the community.

 

APTIK Community Service Program for Mentawai Batch Five