A Guardian of Clean Village

Besuki village, clean and beautiful, is inseparable from the intervention of Arifin. As a village secretary, he intensively encourages residents to maintain cleanliness, especially to always defecate in a toilet.

Besuki village, which is clean and beautiful, is inseparable from the intervention of Arifin, 49. As a village secretary, he intensively encourages residents to maintain cleanliness, especially to always defecate in a toilet.

KOMPAS/MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Arifin, as pictured on Monday (4/11/2019) in Besuki village of Lumbir district, Banyumas regency, Central Java

The cleanliness in Besuki village, Lumbir district, Banyumas, Central Java, could be seen as soon as one entered the village gate on Monday (4/11/2019). The water canal was clean and neat. The water in the river was clear, free of trash. There were separate trash bins for organic and inorganic waste. The yards of the residents were green with various fruit trees, such as mango and rambutan. A breeze that descended from the hills to the valley gently rustled the leaves.

The walls around the village office were covered with colorful murals that encourage residents to maintain cleanliness. Some writings are displayed, such as "Trash is Not an Inheritance for Our Children and Grandchildren", "Do it for Life" and "Beware of Worms". At that time, a number of residents were seen working together to dig a ditch. They greeted passersby warmly with smiles.

Besuki village is located in the western part of Banyumas regency. Located in a teak forest with winding and steep roads typical of hilly terrain, the village has a number of rivers, including the Seling River, Bedagung River, Lopasir River, Kalimulang River and Cibutun River. The residents\' homes are in the foothills and valleys or along the streams.

I got intravenous infusions for up to 10 bottles at that time by the paramedics.

Given the difficulties to get clean water for daily needs, several years ago residents chose to do all their activities in the river, from bathing and washing, to defecating. Not surprisingly, in the 1980s many residents in the village suffered from diarrhea and vomiting. "When I was in the sixth grade of elementary school, I almost died of diarrhea," Arifin said.

Arifin remembered how it hurt at that time because of dehydration. Moreover, parents and all their siblings panicked and were confused about seeking treatment. "I got intravenous infusions for up to 10 bottles at that time by the paramedics," he said.

Unwilling to repeat the illness, since 2016 Arifin and other village administrators have been promoting toilet construction and personally approaching residents who still defecate where ever they please. "It\'s not easy to change people\'s habits. They think, what\'s important is to not defecate at home. Some already have toilets, but they still install pipes to channel the sewage into the river," he said.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Arifin

In 2017, in Besuki village, 160 toilets were built, using both village funds and assistance from the regency. Out of 724 families, 97 percent already have toilets and septic tanks so that the Besuki village was declared an Open-Defecation-Free Zone. However, there are people who still defecate in the river.

To finish the job, besides publicizing the need to use latrines and septic tanks at each meeting, Arifin also makes a threat through the WhatsApp group called Besuki Village: "Those who defecate in the river are photographed from a distance; then their photos are sent to the group."

The photos are certainly not pornography. In the group, members discuss the violations, as well as social sanctions so that those who stubbornly defecate in the river become embarrassed and change their unhealthy habits. Some are even asked to make statements that they would not repeat their actions.

Those who defecate in the river are photographed from a distance; then their photos are sent to the group.

"If they refuse to make a statement, they would not be assisted when they apply for documents such as a celebration permit or to get ID cards," he said.

In addition to intensifying the campaign to stop open defecation, Arifin also encouraged residents to familiarize themselves with clean living by preparing handwashing facilities in front of their homes in the form of taps and soap. Clean water is also provided by installing pipes from the springs and using water reservoirs so that residents no longer take river water for consumption. "There are two springs used by residents, namely Tuk Banyumudal and Kalimalang. Residents are also encouraged to boil water for consumption," he said.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

Arifin

Arifin said a healthy lifestyle would prevent the spread of diseases, including diarrhea. One more thing that is encouraged by Arifin is to process waste from the kitchen. Organic and inorganic waste is separated. Then, inorganic waste is saved in the village garbage bank. There are 150 members of this garbage bank. Every 1 kilogram of plastic waste will be purchased for Rp 1,000.

Plastic waste that can be resold is brought to the garbage collector. Meanwhile, the remaining waste, such as plastic packaging, is to be made into eco-bricks by women in the Family Welfare Empowerment group in Besuki village.

Thanks to mutual cooperation and Arifin\'s efforts with the village administrators to improve cleanliness, the village as one where residents have implemented the five pillars of community-based total sanitation. The village also won an award from the Banyumas Health Office in 2017 for implementing clean and healthy living, became the third winner of the 2017 Banyumas Regency Cleanliness and Security Competition and the second winner in the 2018 Land Utilization Competition for a Beautiful, Comfortable and Well-Arranged Hometown.

For Arifin, his efforts to keep the environment clean earned him a number of awards, including appointment as the Community-Based Total Sanitation Healthy Ambassador at the Banyumas regency level in 2018 and second winner of the Sanitation Healthy Environment Ambassador Competition in 2018 at the Central Java level. "I try not to force or patronize others, but I try to set an example starting with myself and my family,” Arifin said.

Arifin

Born: Banyumas, 18 August 1970

Education:

- SD Besuki 1

- MTs Negeri Majenang

- SMA Al Hidayah Sidareja

- Diploma in Business Informatics from the Academy of Trade Bandung (2016)

Wife: Suryati, 47

Children: 2

Activity/Job:

- Besuki village secretary (since 2016)

- A member of Tagana in Banyumas

- Executive of the Communication Forum for Rural Society in Banyumas

- Head of Besuki Family Planning Advisors