Event on Sunday, 23 October 2016
The rainy season in Indonesia has shown its sign. Almost
everyday, Jakarta is poured by rain whether it is in afternoon or even in the
middle of night. Several days before, I got information from my volunteer group,
DKP (Diet Kantong Plastik/Plastic Bag Diet) that there would be a joint event
with Pijar Renjana (a social community which actively doing activities together
with children from various orphanage) on 23 October 2016. The event would be
held at Van Der Steur Orphanage, an orphanage located in Bekasi. At first, I
was hesitated to join because the location is far and I have no idea about
Bekasi area (the transportation route, etc). But because I really interested in
joining the activity by imagining how fun would it be to play together with the
children in the orphanage, I decided to join the event.
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| Logo of Diet Kantong Plastik |
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| Logo of Pijar Renjana |
It was raining heavily when I got to the Pinang Ranti busway
stop. I decided to take a prayer in the nearby mosque because it is already
time for Dhuhur. From the information
that I have got, it takes about 15 minutes by public transport from Pinang
Ranti to the orphanage in Jl. Kecapi. I take the red car with CH code (as
instructed by Kak Icha, the event coordinator). Before the event started, Kak
Icha briefed the volunteers (including me) about the event that day and how to
make bags from used T-shirt. I got a little late because of the traffic and was
aarived when the briefing almost ended.
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| Volunteer Briefeing by Kak Icha |
After the briefing, we are
gathered in the auditorium and assigned to a different groups, each group has
8-10 children. I am assigned to group 4 with Dimas and Fani (other volunteer).
We play games and got to know each other from the games. According to the information from
Pijar Renjana, not all of the children in Van Der Steur Orphanage are orphan.
Some of them are live at the orphanage because their parents unable to
financing their study, so they are taken care in the orphanage to get better
education also better living. The children in Van Der Steur are ranged from
3-19 years old and they came from all over Indonesia too.
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| Playing Games Together |
The foundation chairman of this orphanage is
Mrs. Nel, an Indonesia-Netherlander whom really concern about the education in
Indonesia and want to help people whom unable to finance their children’s
education because of economic problem. The orphanage would finance the children’s
education until they finish high school degree, after that they have to choose
their course of life themselves, whether to work or continue to higher study.
Van Der Steur itself recommended taking higher education and helping the children
who wish to take their higher education to get a sponsor (Pijar Renjana, 2016).
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| Mrs. Nel |
We watch Wall-E, an animation movie which tells the story of
a robot named Wall-e that live in the earth which have turn to be the garbage
dump. Human is living in the space ship and most of them are suffering obesity
because every work and activities mostly handled automatically using robots.
Wall-E and his friend Eve is protecting a plant, the first plant that could be
found in earth. The plant is the only thing that could trigger the space ship
to set the course back to earth. So, the entire of human race that have left
the earth for more than 700 years could go home.
The children were really enjoying this movie, sometimes they
laugh, comments, and even about to cry because of the movie. I myself was immersed in the movie as well. The movie gave a lot of moral message especially
about environmental issue.
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| The Children Watching Wall-e |
After the movie ended, Kak Marsya, the representative from
DKP, was asking the children about their opinion regarding the movie. Kak
Marsya also socializing the effect of using plastic bags and ask the children
to join in the movement to reduce the use of plastic bags together. The
children were starting to understand what is the meaning to keep our
environment clean and why can we do in order to reduce the effect of using
plastic bags.
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| Q&A Regarding The Movie |
The next event was making bag from used T-shirt. Each of
the volunteer in the group will assist the children in their group how to make
the bag. As instructed and briefed by Kak Icha earlier, the shirt cut in several area and then connected. The bag is using no stitches, so that every children can make them easily. Some of the kids from my group even said that they would try to make more after the event.
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| Making Bags Together |
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| Me and Alexa, One of The Children in My Group |
After finish making the bag, we are given chance to take insta picture
using Polaroid camera. Kak Icha and several volunteers whom assigned as the
documentation team were taking the picture of each group. The children really proud that they could make preety bags and really excited to show their handmade bag while taking picture. We took pictures in a lot of cute pose and the kids even wore their handmade accessories which made from the leftover of T-shirt.
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| My Group Pose for Insta Picture |
The event is ended by praying together, thankful for what
have god given to us that day. Me and some of my friends whom are moslem also
take Ashar and Maghrib pray before heading home. Happy memories were still
lingering in my head even when I arrived at my kostan that day, even until now.
I am glad that I have chosen to join the activity that day because it has added
a happy memory in my life. I hope that I can join the future events with Pijar
Renjana Community.
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| Group Picture of All Participants That Day |
Pictures by: Pijar Renjana (http://www.pijarrenjana.org/)
