The Fate of College Students from Out of Town

KOMPAS/BUDI SUWARNA

A man looks at the list of names of students of the State Islamic University who received a free meal program posted in front of Warung Sardi, Campus 1 area of UIN Jakarta, Ciputat, South Tangerang, Tuesday (07/4/2020). Free food packages for students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic provided by the Social Trust Fund of UIN Jakarta in collaboration with several food stalls in Ciputat.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted countless lives, including college students from out of town. Some of them are experiencing difficulties to obtain enough food during the pandemic.

“We only have 1 kilogram of rice left. It’s only enough for two meals for five people in my kosan [rooming house]. We only eat once a day to make it enough,” said Jamaludin, a Madurese student at Jakarta’s Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN), in Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten, on Friday (3/4/2020). Jamaludin picked vegetables, such as chili pepper and mustard greens, which he had planted in his rooming house’s backyard.

We only have 1 kilogram of rice left. It’s only enough for two meals for five people in my kosan [rooming house].

He said the pandemic had made life difficult for college students from out of town like him. Before the pandemic, he was able to earn income from writing articles in local media and organizing seminars. “Now, there is no seminar and my writings have not been published. If this situation persists, we will die from starvation instead of the disease,” he said.

Irham Majid, who hails from Palembang in South Sumatra and studies automotive engineering at the School of Engineering, Padang State University, faces a similar situation. He said his savings had been significantly reduced and he was already facing difficulties in buying daily needs, such as meals, medicines, paper or cell phone credit for online classes. “[Before the pandemic], I worked as entertainer while also attending classes. Now, I have no income as there is no demand,” Irham said on Monday (6/4).

Also read : Lessons from Quarantine at Kampung Hitu

In Yogyakarta, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) philosophy student Rafli Ryan Maulana, 21, only eats rice and a piece of tempeh every day. He shares a contracted house with five friends in Condong Catur, Sleman. He cannot find other meals as many food stalls near his home are now closed due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, his college has been helping. He wrote about his gratitude in the Twitter account @disinfectionist: “after having difficulties finding meals for a week, finally someone is listening to the rumbling stomachs of kids living in contracted homes…”

In normal days, Yogyakarta’s Sanata Dharma University has 1,500 underprivileged students, around 250 of whom lives in the college dormitory. Many of these students come from Mappi, Timika, Sorong, Nias and Mentawai regencies. The rest are scattered in kosan and contracted houses around town.

Also read : Physical and Mental Health During COVID-19

KOMPAS/BUDI SUWARNA

Warung Sardi in Gang Semanggi 2, Ciputat, South Tangerang who was appointed by the UIN Jakarta Social Trust Fund to provide free meal program for students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, at Tuesday (7/4/2020).

They are recipients of scholarships from regional administrations or dioceses. They rely on monthly pocket money of between Rp 300,000 (US$18.64) and Rp 600,000. During the Covid-19 pandemic, living cost has tripled. Consequently, they are having difficulties in purchasing meals and cell phone credits.

In Bandung, West Java, public relations department student Asep Supriyatna of Padjadjaran University’s faculty of communication sciences was worried. He would soon run out of money and he could no longer earn his daily income of Rp 20,000 as a traveling salesman due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The daily income should have covered his daily expenses.

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Philosophy student Arinal Haq Akbar Saleh at University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Humanities in Depok, West Java, is luckier. He still receives money sent by his parents. However, the student from Padang is finding it difficult to buy meals as food stalls have been closed.

It is estimated that thousands of college students from out of town are currently “trapped” in dormitories or rooming houses and they will soon run out of money. At UIN Jakarta alone, as of 4 April, 1,066 students had registered for the free meal program. As of 2 April, 130 UI students had obtained daily free meals. Similarly UGM has 900 such students, the Yogyakarta State University has 200 and Sanata Dharma has 1,500.

KOMPAS/BUDI SUWARNA

Sardi, the owner of Warung Sardi, showed a list of UIN students who received free meal program from the UIN Jakarta Social Trust Fund, Tuesday (7/4/2020).

Solidarity

The huge number of college students from out of town facing difficulties has created waves of solidarity among lecturers, alumni and the public.

UIN Jakarta Social Trust Fund chief Amelia Fauzia said that UIN lecturers and donors raised fund to prepare ready meals for 1,066 students. The program was carried out on 30 March-4 April and on 6-10 April. If there are more donations, the program will be continued. “I am surprised by the program’s popularity. If registration was not closed, the number of donors would not have stopped,” she said.

Sanata Dharma University is doing a similar thing. The university’s deputy rector IV Ouda Teda Ena said that the university provided three meals a day for 1,500 students in dormitories and contracted houses. However, there are difficulties in distributing meals for students outside of dormitories due to road and food stall closures.

Padang State University rector Ganefri said that the university provided 1,000 packages of staple needs for students in need. Meanwhile, at UI, several alumni groups are gathering meal donations. “As we heard students in dormitories are facing difficulty in finding meals, we sent meals for 140 students and 30 security workers for five consecutive days,” said Naila Firdausi, the organizing committee deputy chair of the 25 Year Reunion of UI’s faculty of economy’s Class of 1995.

The Covid-19 pandemic opens our eyes that many college students in Indonesia are vulnerable to crisis situations. However, many generous people are ready to help.

(BSW/TRI/JOL/DNA/ELN)