Teacher Sokola
www.sokola.org
Indonesia
The densely population with low residential quality, lack of health information and low of life skills and education quality caused various social problems such as low level of health, income of the people who did not increased due to limited public works only as construction laborers, pedicab drivers, garbage collectors, and so on. Also, a wide range of contagious diseases that become one of the social problems in this area because of lack of understanding about the health of citizens, low income which may be caused criminalization among them, groups fighting and can trigger clash in the household.
☐ Environmental
With the coastal reclamation, environmental conditions are slowly changing which evolved drastically later. Areas that had become fishermen basis, now changed into real estate areas. Areas that had become clean water pound, now changed as drainage canal which is very vulnerable to waterlogging. According to local stakeholders, it is caused by the development that was not guided by the analysis of environmental impact. As the result of this development is the flood that happened in 2007 and in the future it will be worse because of the government policies are taken side to the developers.
☐ Recent Condition
In response to these conditions, Sokola Pesisir has conducted direct and indirect approaches. Direct approach is done by providing trash can at residents’ home in collaboration with the private sector. Moreover, through local cadres who have been guided at Sokola Pesisir, we invite local communities to do greening by planting seedlings.
Indirect approach is given by the insertion in the learning materials in either the level of early children education, chil-dren, adolescents, and in adults and elderly. At the early ages and chilchil-dren, the insertion is given in the form of discipline habits, waste disposal at the right place, explanation by using storytelling of how precious and important are the street cleaners, whom most of the workers came from their own communities and occasionally invited them to play at the green parks so that they can feel themselves the benefits of protecting the environment. For teenagers, the insertion is given on the materials of photography. With the cameras that are borrowed, they can freely record conditions in their surroundings, whether its social or environmental conditions. From the photos that they are taken then they hold discussions about not only from technical aspect, like composition, color, etc but also their views and opinions that are documented on the pic-tures.
One of the initial projects that they were chosen by themselves after attended Film Training is a film entitled “The Time for Eyes to Talk”. The film tells about the current conditions of their neighborhood which they were directly documenting and then compare it with the condition at the past that they had been told from local residents who have live in there for years. They were also conducted interview to the local government regarding environmental planning in the next few years. There are many lessons learnt from this film that not just for them but for the audiences who are watching it.
Meanwhile, for adults and elderly, the learning insertion is given through the message conveyed in theatrical drama performances that presented by our students at the occasional events such as International Children Day.
Evaluation of these two approaches can be concluded that the indirect approach is more effective and can give long-term effects while direct approach cannot be done without self awareness from each individual. It is clearly seen from the trash cans that converted to children’s toy, or in worse case is sold to the junkyard man. Furthermore, this approach re-quires more integrated efforts and cooperation from related elements.
☐ The Future
Learning from the activities that have been carried out and with the knowledge gained from trainings and discussions, the education tdevelopment program in Sokola Pesisir will be directed to the communities self-determination, whether in economic sector, environmental or disaster management.
Environmental and disaster management are things that mutually bound to each other, especially flood management which recently often repeated during rainy season. Knowledge of evacuation should have been given in the formal schools around the location of activities, as well as evacuation signs should have been installed around the neighborhood. To achieve those things, it needs good communication and cooperation between communities that represented by the stake-holders, government, formal schools and non-governmental organizations.
As the example of concrete activities to be proposed to the local formal schools, starting green program ranging from planting seeds to planting management and how students, teachers and communities have an agreement to jointly taking care and maintaining their activities together.
Another thing is proposing to the concerning government, in this case urban-village to facilitate a meeting between government, residents, formal schools and non-governmental organizations to discuss about current conditions of the local environment. This activity will be held at least once in every three months.
Moreover, making plan to provide wall magazines that covering campaign about education, environment, health and so on. Asking to the developers for giving more concern on environmental management, especially on flood. Inviting non-governmental organizations that working on environmental, health and disaster management to actively doing campaign, in this case we will find momentum to actively and participatory conduct some programs with communities, for example involve in Earth Hour, etc.
Making action plan to list what to do and who will be in charge in case big flood is coming. In this case, Sokola Pesisir will focus its activities on the handling of children and education in post-disaster, for example, the procurement of shelter for children to play and learn, the activities related to mental treatment or psycho-social and to assist the role of formal school before recovering.
Then, together with relevant non-governmental organizations we will conduct trainings and equipping for volunteers so that when needed they can work safely and effectively. Also, establish online forum that contains information about di-saster sites, coordination of didi-saster management, further information and list of volunteers, support office and etc.
☐ Closing
With the hope of program sustainability, each type of activity will be carried out directly by local teenagers and youth who also will be assisted by volunteers from Sokola Pesisir or volunteers from other NGOs who are expert and skilled.
For monitoring and evaluation will be done openly and involve all related stakeholders and will be publish on wall magazine and online forum.