Promote the Dignity of Forest Kids

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Widie Nurmahmudy, a former porter at a Bulog warehouse in Banyuwangi, East Java, is now a journalist. He established the Taman Rimba Reading Village (Batara) to support the education of children in Papring village, adjacent to the forest area in North Banyuwangi.

Widie Nurmahmudy, 40, was concerned, a child who lived near the forest was unable to mention the names of trees. Shortly after, he was shocked to discover that many children in his village had dropped out of school. In 2013, he met Rudianto, 8, at a Bulog warehouse in Banyuwangi while he worked as a laborer. Rudianto, who was supposed to be in Grade II, had dropped out of school and was working as a construction worker.

A year has passed and his sad encounter with Rudianto has not yet disappeared. He again met a small child who lives not far from where he lives. The child played in Widie\'s yard and later Widie took the boy for a tour of the garden around Kampung Papring.

"I was extremely shocked. There was a village child who did not know the names of the trees. Our village was bordered with the forest," he said early last week.

The Papring neighborhood is only 15 kilometers from downtown Banyuwangi, East Java. However, it is not easy to get to the location. The ascending trail with a width of no more than 3 meters makes this village look like a slump in the middle of the forest.

I was extremely shocked. There was a village child who did not know the names of the trees.

Another fact that was discovered by Widie, besides many children dropping out of school, most of the girls there stopped going to school because their parents have them married. In the period from 2012 to 2015, Widie recorded that there were 10 underage girls who were married.

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Widie Nurmahmudy

As far as Widie could remember, there is only one Papring native who has a university degree. Economic conditions that are uncertain, he said, made many residents reluctant to send their children to high-level education. "Most residents in this environment are bamboo craftsmen, ranchers, farm laborers and pine tappers," Widie said.

The distance of educational facilities also makes many residents reluctant to send their children to school. The closest elementary school to Papring is 1 km away, while the nearest junior high school is 10 km and the nearest vocational school is 8 km.

This series of appalling events and conditions drove Widie to establish study groups or non-formal schools. In 2015, he founded Kampung Batara, an acronym for Taman Rimba Reading Village. In the first year, Kampung Batara held activities every Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Each activity was held for two hours. In Kampung Batara, children, among others, are taught to read. Widie was sure that a child who did not know the names of the trees did not know because he had not read enough.

In the beginning, Widie’s study group had only four children, consisting of a niece and three of her neighbors. At that time, there were 30 novels and comic titles available for the group. In 2016, the number of participants increased.

"In the second year to date, activities are focused on Sundays. The meetings can be longer, up to three hours. At present there are 40 children who are actively studying in Kampung Batara. Our book collection has also increased to 250 books," said the man who was born in 1979.

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Widie Nurmahmudy

Kampung Batara

The group usually meets in a hexagonal hut, a meter long on each side. The accommodation that Widie had built in his yard was not a class, but a gathering room.

When working in Kampung Batara, children are not grouped according to age, but are allowed to blend. This was done so that older children could accompany the younger ones.

"Those who are older accompany, not teach, [the younger ones] because sometimes the younger ones are more fluent in reading. This way of learning aims to show them that the small or minority is not necessarily inferior to the big or the majority," said the father of two.

When they came and gathered, the children were offered what activities to do that day. They are free to do the activities they want, such as playing, reading, storytelling, drawing or exploring. After activities, each child is asked to share their experiences. After that, the friends respond by looking for values that can be learned from the children who are telling stories.

"For example, someone might talk about children bullying each other, then the children will be asked whether bullying is good or bad. As a mentor, I only emphasize so that they finally realize that bullying is not good," said the man who also works as a journalist.

From the beginning, Widie wanted to practice democratic education. The children are free to do activities, free to take values, but are still guided. Kampung Batara is expected to be a space to express various aspirations, to have dreams and to respect each other whatever is presented by the children.

Widie did not specify the material for the children\'s activities in Kampung Batara, because for one week the children followed the materials determined by the teacher at formal school.

Read more : School Gives Back to “Bajilo”

KOMPAS/ANGGER PUTRANTO

Widie Nurmahmudy

By giving them the opportunity to share their experiences, the Papring children are now more confident. They used to be ashamed to talk about their origin because the area was considered underdeveloped. However, now they are proud to come from one of the bamboo-producing villages.

Kampung Batara has also managed to nurture interest and enthusiasm in learning and schooling among children in Papring. Evidently there are no elementary school age children who get married. Children who graduated from elementary school in 2017 have now continued their education to the junior high school level.

Everything was done by Widie without collecting any money from the children. He actually often gives gifts in the form of snacks if the children are achievers and are active in activities.

I would be happier if someone helped by giving me books, stationery or props.

Widie acknowledged the sustainability of Kampung Batara was not only because of his efforts. There are many donors and volunteers who help their efforts to create informal education for children in Papring.

For nearly five years Widie has managed Kampung Batara without ever receiving assistance in the form of money. He did this so as not to become a burden to himself.

"I would be happier if someone helped by giving me books, stationery or props. We refuse money because education is not a tool to look for or raise money. Let this become a tool for us to serve," said the man who is active in the Healthy Banyuwangi Forum.

Widie Nurmahmudy

Born: Banyuwangi, 30 June 1979

Wife: Novita

Children:

- Syamsul Arifin

- Nata Pradipa Aksa Ravindra

Education: Madrasah Aliyah (MA)

Job experience:

- 2008-2011: Laborer at Bulog

- 2010-2013: Journalist with Banyuwangi FM

- 2015-mid 2018: Journalist with a business tabloid in Banyuwangi

- 2017-2018: Journalist with Radio Bintang Tenggara

- 2018-present: Journalist with Jatimplus.id

Volunteers:- 2013-2017: Volunteer work for Merdeka dari Sampah (Free from Garbage) and Banyuwangi Eco School

- 2015-present: Forum Banyuwangi Sehat

Award: Innovation in Education from Banyuwangi administration

Widie Nurmahmudy, mantan kuli.