A company's concern over the community around its location, usually manifested in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, is often hampered by a business climate and local cultures that are not conducive to maximum implementation of this scheme. As a result, the financial aid and facilities that a company extends to a local community through its CSR program fail to produce optimum benefits and the condition of the local community remains virtually unchanged even after a CSR program has been implemented.
This unfavorable situation can be found, for example, in Ngadimulyo village, Sukorejo district, Pasuruan regency, East Java. Economically, the community here has not experienced any significant change despite various forms of assistance received from PT HM Sampoerna Tbk through its CSR program called "Bina Warga Sampoerna" (Development of Locals by Sampoerna). Sampoerna has channeled loans totaling millions of rupiah but the repayment of the loans has not run smoothly. "If the repayment of the loans extended under this program ran smoothly, more aid may be channeled to more people," said Mrs. Ita, a member of the management of Pokja Sampoerna (Sampoerna's working group).
PT HM Sampoerna Tbk kicked off its CSR program with the establishment of Sampoerna Foundation on March 1, 2001. This foundation, the brainchild of Putera Sampoerna, the president commissioner of PT HM Sampoerna Tbk, aims to improve the education sector in Indonesia, and provide greater access for further studies to students with excellent academic achievements. Besides Sampoerna Foundation, HM Sampoerna also carries out a number of partnership programs, such as a partnership program in tobacco or cigarette production and a program under which locals are empowered and developed. The Bina Warga Program is based on social, economic and educational activities undertaken in residential areas around the location of Sampoerna's factory.
For the activities of Sampoerna Foundation, HM Sampoerna allocates 2 percent of the company's net profit every year. Meanwhile, for its partnership program in tobacco, HM Sampoerna involves some 2,000 locals in growing tobacco on a plot of land measuring 4,820 hectares. Under this partnership program, locals are taught how to grow and look after tobacco plants. This program has produced outstanding results: every year their tobacco harvest reaches 10,500 tons.
In its partnership program in cigarette production, HM Sampoerna runs 32 production units in Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta and West Java. This partnership program, which can employ some 51,000 people, involves about nine cooperatives, three Islamic boarding schools and 20 small and medium enterprises.
In Ngadimulyo village, which is located near Sampoerna's factory in Pasuruan, the Bina Warga Sampoerna program was kicked off in mid 2004. Under this scheme, PT HM Sampoerna allocates funds to be channeled as aid to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly for the production of tempeh. The funds are managed by Pokja Sampoerna and are channeled to community members belonging to community groups. In Ngadimulyo there are 53 community groups, which mostly make tempeh.
Muji and Tamimah, both traditional tempeh producers and members of a community group, enjoy this aid extended under the Bina Warga Sampoerna program. They have received loans since the beginning of the program. "It's not much. I usually borrow Rp 500,000 to start my tempeh production," Tamimah told The Jakarta Post.
She said she spent the money on purchasing soybeans for her tempeh.
Every day, Muji and Tamimah process 80 kilos of soybeans. They rinse the soybeans and then boil them in a large container. Afterwards they mixed the boiled soybeans with yeast and set the mixture aside for three days. "On the third day, we have tempeh. My husband sells our tempeh at Palang market, Sukorejo," Tamimah said. The water in which the soybeans are boiled is later mixed with feed for their cattle. Their gross income from selling tempeh can reach Rp 350,000 a day.
Thanks to their income selling tempeh, Muji and Tamimah can send their three children to school. Two of them go to a state university in Surabaya. "Thank God, all this is the fruit of our small-scale business," said Tamimah, who is now developing her business of selling cows for slaughter.
However, not all community group members are as successful as Muji and Tamimah. According to data compiled by Pokja Sampoerna in Ngadimulyo village, the majority of borrowers fail to repay their loans in full. Some do not even make the first installment. They usually argue that their business has yet to be successful. "As the price of soybeans fluctuates, tempeh makers cannot develop their business. As a result, their loans don't get paid off," said Musta'in, coordinator of Pokja Sampoerna in Ngadimulyo village.
What makes matters worse is the hot mudflow in Porong, Sidoarjo, which has had an adverse impact on the local market. Locals usually selling tempeh at Porong market have to find another market. "Before this hot mud disaster, I could sell 100 kilos of tempeh at Porong market every day, but now to sell just 25 kilos of tempeh a day is really difficult," Musta'in said, without any enthusiasm.
To cope with this unfavorable condition, Pokja Sampoerna has modified its strategy in the channeling of aid. Instead of extending loans, it provides aid in the form of soybeans. However, a new problem has arisen. "Tempeh makers prefer to purchase soybeans on credit. Pokja Sampoerna, however, makes available soybeans on a cash and carry basis," said Musta'in. And now a new strategy has been devised. Pokja Sampoerna has established the Sampoerna Entrepreneurship Training Center (PPKS), which is open to locals interested in areas like horticulture, landscape design, cattle breeding, waste treatment, food processing, motorcycle repair and fisheries to improve their skills and qualifications. The result? Just wait and see.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
March revived to remember historic Surabaya battle
This Stories Has Publish at The Jakarta Post at, Nopember 28, 2006
It was close to dawn, but despite the early hour loud police sirens and cheers from thousands of waiting spectators greeted a group of marchers entering Surabaya's Tugu Pahlawan monument area.
The 10-member Aremba team was the first to reach the finish line at the Mojokerto-Surabaya competition. "Go Aremba," yelled the group's supporters.
The tired and sweaty faces of the young men from Lakarsari district in west Surabaya brightened as they reached the finish line.
After a nine-year hiatus, the traditional march from Mojokerto to Surabaya was revived this year in East Java.
The competition was originally organized to commemorate a heroic incident from the 1945 Battle of Surabaya, during Indonesia's fight for independence.
A Surabaya cultural observer, Kadaruslan, said many freedom fighters involved in the struggle in Surabaya came from Mojokerto.
When Allied forces began besieging Surabaya, fighters from Mojokerto came to protect the city. "They walked 55 km to fight in the battle. It is commemorated today by the younger generation as the Mojokerto-Surabaya Traditional March," Kadaruslan told The Jakarta Post.
The traditional march had been held annually since the 1980s but was suspended in 1997.
"The political and economic situations at that time were not favorable for us to organize such a competition, especially the security conditions, which were at their worst," said the vice chairman of the Surabaya office of the National Sports Council, Sunardi.
Participants did not have to pay a fee this year, as they did in the past. Some 3,270 contestants from various cities in Java, including 550 teams and 1,070 individual participants, took part in the competition.
They were grouped in categories such as military/police and general public, competing for a total cash prize of Rp 25 million (US$2,800).
The main highway between Mojokerto and Surabaya was closed for previous competitions, but not this time. Sunardi said organizers gave the marchers careful instructions on how to compete without hindering traffic.
"We wanted to educate people on road discipline because the number of team members this year was 10, compared to 20 previously, and two teams marched simultaneously in a row," said Sunardi.
The organizing committee carried over the evaluation methods used in previous years. The competition is based, not on speed, but accurate timing, orderliness and team spirit.
"At a normal walking pace of 6 km per hour, competitors can cover the distance in between nine and 10 hours," said Sunardi, who is also a committee member.
During the contest's wee hours, a group of vintage bicycle lovers acted as pacesetters. Their historical costumes evoked the atmosphere of the struggle era.
The marching competition was a nostalgic event for some Surabaya citizens.
Suhaeri, a resident of Kapasari, who used to take part in the march, watched with his 10-year-old son, Aditya Katon.
"I want my son to know Surabaya has the Mojokerto-Surabaya traditional marching competition, which is unique and rich in historical value," said Suhaeri.
Two of his nephews participated in the event as individual contestants. "I don't expect them to win, but what's more important is for them to enliven the event," he said.
It was close to dawn, but despite the early hour loud police sirens and cheers from thousands of waiting spectators greeted a group of marchers entering Surabaya's Tugu Pahlawan monument area.
The 10-member Aremba team was the first to reach the finish line at the Mojokerto-Surabaya competition. "Go Aremba," yelled the group's supporters.
The tired and sweaty faces of the young men from Lakarsari district in west Surabaya brightened as they reached the finish line.
After a nine-year hiatus, the traditional march from Mojokerto to Surabaya was revived this year in East Java.
The competition was originally organized to commemorate a heroic incident from the 1945 Battle of Surabaya, during Indonesia's fight for independence.
A Surabaya cultural observer, Kadaruslan, said many freedom fighters involved in the struggle in Surabaya came from Mojokerto.
When Allied forces began besieging Surabaya, fighters from Mojokerto came to protect the city. "They walked 55 km to fight in the battle. It is commemorated today by the younger generation as the Mojokerto-Surabaya Traditional March," Kadaruslan told The Jakarta Post.
The traditional march had been held annually since the 1980s but was suspended in 1997.
"The political and economic situations at that time were not favorable for us to organize such a competition, especially the security conditions, which were at their worst," said the vice chairman of the Surabaya office of the National Sports Council, Sunardi.
Participants did not have to pay a fee this year, as they did in the past. Some 3,270 contestants from various cities in Java, including 550 teams and 1,070 individual participants, took part in the competition.
They were grouped in categories such as military/police and general public, competing for a total cash prize of Rp 25 million (US$2,800).
The main highway between Mojokerto and Surabaya was closed for previous competitions, but not this time. Sunardi said organizers gave the marchers careful instructions on how to compete without hindering traffic.
"We wanted to educate people on road discipline because the number of team members this year was 10, compared to 20 previously, and two teams marched simultaneously in a row," said Sunardi.
The organizing committee carried over the evaluation methods used in previous years. The competition is based, not on speed, but accurate timing, orderliness and team spirit.
"At a normal walking pace of 6 km per hour, competitors can cover the distance in between nine and 10 hours," said Sunardi, who is also a committee member.
During the contest's wee hours, a group of vintage bicycle lovers acted as pacesetters. Their historical costumes evoked the atmosphere of the struggle era.
The marching competition was a nostalgic event for some Surabaya citizens.
Suhaeri, a resident of Kapasari, who used to take part in the march, watched with his 10-year-old son, Aditya Katon.
"I want my son to know Surabaya has the Mojokerto-Surabaya traditional marching competition, which is unique and rich in historical value," said Suhaeri.
Two of his nephews participated in the event as individual contestants. "I don't expect them to win, but what's more important is for them to enliven the event," he said.
Hot mud, gas fumes bog down rescuers
This Stories Has Publish at The Jakarta Post National News - November 24, 2006
by Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho
The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo, Surabaya
Rescuers continued to search for up to a dozen missing people at the Sidoarjo mudflow disaster Thursday, a day after a gas pipeline exploded, killing at least seven people and shooting flames hundreds of meters into the air.
The powerful blast occurred at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after an embankment built to contain the hot mud burst, sweeping four cars away and closing the main Porong toll road. Between four and 12 people are believed to be still missing.
"We have used helicopters, excavating machines and rubber boats -- but we have not found the missing victims," said Mohammad, the chief of the search and rescue team.
The search was hindered by the hot mud and the risk of toxic gas after the explosion. The temperature of the mud was so high it could melt rubber shoes, Mohammad said.
The seven people killed included two policeman, two soldiers and a local military commander. The dead were identified as Capt. Afandi, commander of the Balongbendo military district in Sidoarjo; Chief Pvt. Slamet; First Pvt. Fani; Second Sgt. Nafis of Kepanjen military command; Tri Iswandi and Yusman Ediyanto of state road management company PT Jasa Marga; and Edi Sutarno, a worker for a local contracting company.
Sidoarjo traffic police head Adj. Comr. Andi Yudianto said the death toll would likely rise because many people were working at the site when the explosion occurred.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said the government "would take steps to ensure that the situation at the disaster area would not deteriorate further".
Edi Sunardi, from the Indonesian Association of Geologists, told AFP experts had warned about continuing to operate the gas pipeline in a disaster area.
Operated by Pertamina, the line channels gas from northeast East Java to a chemicals plant and to state gas and electricity firms.
The mudflow caused land subsidence, which put pressure on the 70 cm gas pipe, Sunardi said
"It (the subsidence) exerts pressure on the pipe and at one point, when the pressure is too much to bear, the pipe will break, the high-pressure gas will leak out and explode on contact with air.
"We have already warned about the potential of such incidents, since quite early after the 'mud volcano' developed. But it seems the warning has fallen on deaf ears," Sunardi said.
The land around the gas well has sunk up to five meters so far, officials said.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, who heads the mudflow disaster team, said the team planned to strengthen the destroyed embankment, relocate the toll road, railway tracks and the pipeline, and build another spillway to anticipate the rising mudflow during the rainy season.
Purnomo said the explosion was caused by subsidence. "(The mud) broke the transmission pipe which then made the pressure rise to 400 psi (pounds per square inch) and the gas automatically shut down while the remaining gas ignited," Purnomo said.
However, Purnomo dismissed risks of another blast.
Trijono, general manager of the East Java office of state-owned gas company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara, said that the explosion had caused the company to suffer losses of about Rp 10 billion (US$1.05 million) a day.
The company was forced to stop gas supplies to between 30 and 40 companies, including food seasoning company PT Ajinomoto, cement company PT Semen Gresik and state electricity company PT PLN, he said.
Meanwhile, Zulfikar celebrated his first birthday Thursday at the Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, where his father is being treated for the severe injuries he sustained in the explosion.
Andri suffered burns to nearly 80 percent of his body after being thrown into the hot mud.
Mudflow victims rally for compensation
Thousands of victims of the mudflow disaster in Porong district in Sidoarjo, East Java, rallied Monday to demand gas drilling company PT Lapindo Brantas increase its compensation for their losses.
Protests were held at three separate locations -- the Sidoarjo regency administration office, the nearby Siring overpass and along the main road in Porong.
There was no immediate response to the protesters' demand from Lapindo, which operates the gas well at the center of the mudflow, the Sidoarjo regency administration or the national team in charge of dealing with the disaster.
Some 10,000 people have been displaced and entire villages inundated by the mud since a drilling accident in May, causing an unfolding environmental disaster in the Sidoarjo area, near Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya.
In Porong, protesters blocked a main road with truckloads of sand.
"We are here to claim our rights as Indonesian citizens. A few days ago, we not only lost our houses but also our paddy fields and all the infrastructure because of Lapindo," Muhammad Kudori, a representative of the protesters, said after meeting local officials and the head of the operator of the gas well.
The Banjar Panji well at the center of the disaster is operated by Lapindo, a unit of PT Energi Mega Persada, partly owned by the Bakrie Group, which is controlled by the family of Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie.
The firm has denied the mudflow is directly linked to the drilling operation.
Lapindo has offered a monthly stipend of Rp 300,000 (US$32.86) to villagers who have lost their houses, as well as rent for new accommodation. It also has set aside Rp 6.9 billion to cover agricultural losses over the next few years, according to Reuters.
Anger has been mounting in the area as hot mud continues to gush out of the ground at a rate of 50,000 cubic meters a day, despite several contingency plans to plug the leak.
Many of the protesters who gathered outside the Sidoarjo regent's office have lost their homes and fields in the past week because of the mudflow, which is also blamed for a gas pipeline explosion in the area last Wednesday that killed 11 people.
"I agree with your demand for compensation for houses and buildings," said Basuki Hadimulyo, the managing head of the national task force formed by the government to tackle the mudflow.
"I will fight for your rights in Jakarta."
In the middle of negotiations, representatives of the victims walked out when the national team could not guarantee their demanded compensation.
The protesters blocked a road connecting Surabaya to northern cities in East Java with three truckloads of sand.
Several experts have said the mudflow could have been triggered by a crack about 6,000 feet deep inside the well.
ID Nugroho contributed to this article from Surabaya.
by Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho
The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo, Surabaya
Rescuers continued to search for up to a dozen missing people at the Sidoarjo mudflow disaster Thursday, a day after a gas pipeline exploded, killing at least seven people and shooting flames hundreds of meters into the air.
The powerful blast occurred at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after an embankment built to contain the hot mud burst, sweeping four cars away and closing the main Porong toll road. Between four and 12 people are believed to be still missing.
"We have used helicopters, excavating machines and rubber boats -- but we have not found the missing victims," said Mohammad, the chief of the search and rescue team.
The search was hindered by the hot mud and the risk of toxic gas after the explosion. The temperature of the mud was so high it could melt rubber shoes, Mohammad said.
The seven people killed included two policeman, two soldiers and a local military commander. The dead were identified as Capt. Afandi, commander of the Balongbendo military district in Sidoarjo; Chief Pvt. Slamet; First Pvt. Fani; Second Sgt. Nafis of Kepanjen military command; Tri Iswandi and Yusman Ediyanto of state road management company PT Jasa Marga; and Edi Sutarno, a worker for a local contracting company.
Sidoarjo traffic police head Adj. Comr. Andi Yudianto said the death toll would likely rise because many people were working at the site when the explosion occurred.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said the government "would take steps to ensure that the situation at the disaster area would not deteriorate further".
Edi Sunardi, from the Indonesian Association of Geologists, told AFP experts had warned about continuing to operate the gas pipeline in a disaster area.
Operated by Pertamina, the line channels gas from northeast East Java to a chemicals plant and to state gas and electricity firms.
The mudflow caused land subsidence, which put pressure on the 70 cm gas pipe, Sunardi said
"It (the subsidence) exerts pressure on the pipe and at one point, when the pressure is too much to bear, the pipe will break, the high-pressure gas will leak out and explode on contact with air.
"We have already warned about the potential of such incidents, since quite early after the 'mud volcano' developed. But it seems the warning has fallen on deaf ears," Sunardi said.
The land around the gas well has sunk up to five meters so far, officials said.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, who heads the mudflow disaster team, said the team planned to strengthen the destroyed embankment, relocate the toll road, railway tracks and the pipeline, and build another spillway to anticipate the rising mudflow during the rainy season.
Purnomo said the explosion was caused by subsidence. "(The mud) broke the transmission pipe which then made the pressure rise to 400 psi (pounds per square inch) and the gas automatically shut down while the remaining gas ignited," Purnomo said.
However, Purnomo dismissed risks of another blast.
Trijono, general manager of the East Java office of state-owned gas company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara, said that the explosion had caused the company to suffer losses of about Rp 10 billion (US$1.05 million) a day.
The company was forced to stop gas supplies to between 30 and 40 companies, including food seasoning company PT Ajinomoto, cement company PT Semen Gresik and state electricity company PT PLN, he said.
Meanwhile, Zulfikar celebrated his first birthday Thursday at the Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, where his father is being treated for the severe injuries he sustained in the explosion.
Andri suffered burns to nearly 80 percent of his body after being thrown into the hot mud.
Mudflow victims rally for compensation
Thousands of victims of the mudflow disaster in Porong district in Sidoarjo, East Java, rallied Monday to demand gas drilling company PT Lapindo Brantas increase its compensation for their losses.
Protests were held at three separate locations -- the Sidoarjo regency administration office, the nearby Siring overpass and along the main road in Porong.
There was no immediate response to the protesters' demand from Lapindo, which operates the gas well at the center of the mudflow, the Sidoarjo regency administration or the national team in charge of dealing with the disaster.
Some 10,000 people have been displaced and entire villages inundated by the mud since a drilling accident in May, causing an unfolding environmental disaster in the Sidoarjo area, near Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya.
In Porong, protesters blocked a main road with truckloads of sand.
"We are here to claim our rights as Indonesian citizens. A few days ago, we not only lost our houses but also our paddy fields and all the infrastructure because of Lapindo," Muhammad Kudori, a representative of the protesters, said after meeting local officials and the head of the operator of the gas well.
The Banjar Panji well at the center of the disaster is operated by Lapindo, a unit of PT Energi Mega Persada, partly owned by the Bakrie Group, which is controlled by the family of Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie.
The firm has denied the mudflow is directly linked to the drilling operation.
Lapindo has offered a monthly stipend of Rp 300,000 (US$32.86) to villagers who have lost their houses, as well as rent for new accommodation. It also has set aside Rp 6.9 billion to cover agricultural losses over the next few years, according to Reuters.
Anger has been mounting in the area as hot mud continues to gush out of the ground at a rate of 50,000 cubic meters a day, despite several contingency plans to plug the leak.
Many of the protesters who gathered outside the Sidoarjo regent's office have lost their homes and fields in the past week because of the mudflow, which is also blamed for a gas pipeline explosion in the area last Wednesday that killed 11 people.
"I agree with your demand for compensation for houses and buildings," said Basuki Hadimulyo, the managing head of the national task force formed by the government to tackle the mudflow.
"I will fight for your rights in Jakarta."
In the middle of negotiations, representatives of the victims walked out when the national team could not guarantee their demanded compensation.
The protesters blocked a road connecting Surabaya to northern cities in East Java with three truckloads of sand.
Several experts have said the mudflow could have been triggered by a crack about 6,000 feet deep inside the well.
ID Nugroho contributed to this article from Surabaya.
Drought means profit for salt farmers
:: Do not republish. If you like to republish, please contact id_nugroho@yahoo.com, id_nugroho@telkom.net or call mobile phone: +62-81-6544-3718 ::
This Images Has Published By The Jakarta Post Sunday, Nopember 26 2006
When a continued and prolonged dry season causes droughts in
other areas of the country, salt farmers find reason to rejoice,
as is the case with Muhammad in Gresik, East Java.
The current dry season means Muhammad and his family can
expect an abundant harvest of salt. While the price of the
commodity remains the same, a greater amount of harvested salt
gives them hope for greater returns.
Muhammad and his family are just one group of salt farmers who
view the lingering dry season as a blessing.
"When it has been hot like this, we can expect a larger
harvest, even double the usual amount," Muhammad told The Jakarta Post on Oct. 23.
Originally from Bangkalan, Madura, Muhammad admitted he did
not know the exact amount of salt they harvested -- whether by
weight or volume -- as the commodity was measured only according
to the number of trucks needed to transport the salt from the
farm for packaging and sale.
At his farm, Muhammad is assisted by his wife, daughter and
son-in-law during the harvest. The profits he has made from his
business has enabled him to buy the farm.
A "bumper crop" also means a bonus for the family, he said:
"On average, a family of four can earn Rp 100,000 per week -- or
Rp 400,000 per month -- excluding the bonus we'll make for a
large harvest."
When harvest season nears, Muhammad recruits two
granddaughters to help out; they stay in a simple hut in the
middle of the farm. Aside from providing shelter during the
hottest part of the day, the hut is also used by those who take
turns in guarding the harvested salt.
"Maybe, after the harvest season is over, we'll all go back to
Madura and wait for the next harvest," he mused.
-- Iman.D. Nugroho
Garam yang sudah "matang" dikumpulkan.
Ditumpuk di pinggir pematang tambak.
Dikumpulkan di bukit garam kecil.
Diangkut menggunakan pikulan bambu.
Gubuk bambu sebagai tempat istirahat.
This Images Has Published By The Jakarta Post Sunday, Nopember 26 2006
When a continued and prolonged dry season causes droughts in
other areas of the country, salt farmers find reason to rejoice,
as is the case with Muhammad in Gresik, East Java.
The current dry season means Muhammad and his family can
expect an abundant harvest of salt. While the price of the
commodity remains the same, a greater amount of harvested salt
gives them hope for greater returns.
Muhammad and his family are just one group of salt farmers who
view the lingering dry season as a blessing.
"When it has been hot like this, we can expect a larger
harvest, even double the usual amount," Muhammad told The Jakarta Post on Oct. 23.
Originally from Bangkalan, Madura, Muhammad admitted he did
not know the exact amount of salt they harvested -- whether by
weight or volume -- as the commodity was measured only according
to the number of trucks needed to transport the salt from the
farm for packaging and sale.
At his farm, Muhammad is assisted by his wife, daughter and
son-in-law during the harvest. The profits he has made from his
business has enabled him to buy the farm.
A "bumper crop" also means a bonus for the family, he said:
"On average, a family of four can earn Rp 100,000 per week -- or
Rp 400,000 per month -- excluding the bonus we'll make for a
large harvest."
When harvest season nears, Muhammad recruits two
granddaughters to help out; they stay in a simple hut in the
middle of the farm. Aside from providing shelter during the
hottest part of the day, the hut is also used by those who take
turns in guarding the harvested salt.
"Maybe, after the harvest season is over, we'll all go back to
Madura and wait for the next harvest," he mused.
-- Iman.D. Nugroho
Garam yang sudah "matang" dikumpulkan.
Ditumpuk di pinggir pematang tambak.
Dikumpulkan di bukit garam kecil.
Diangkut menggunakan pikulan bambu.
Gubuk bambu sebagai tempat istirahat.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Pasuruan body boarders kick up mud
It's all fun in the mud, as a boy pushes his much younger sibling on his skilot board across cracked mud.
A layer of dried, cracked mud breaks off as a body board carrying Abdullah flies over its surface, kicking at the gray muddy water. Spectators packed into the racing arena on Tuesday in Tambak Lekok village, Lekok subdistrict, Pasuruan regency scream and urge on the body boarders. Within seconds, local contestant Abdullah crosses the finish line, emerging the champion of the 2006 skilot competition.
Unlike in Sidoarjo, mud is the source of fun and laughter as thousands of residents from nearby East Java cities crowd the skilot racecourse, located about 70 kilometers from capital Surabaya. The two-hectare arena is gay with the rhythmic sounds of dangdut and the buzz of a traditional bazaar.
Skilot is unique to Pasuruan and is much like body boarding -- except racers surf on mud ponds, not ocean waves. The sport was inspired by clammers who make a living along the East Java coastline, digging for the bivalves in mud during low tides.
As the sucking quality of mud impeded their movements, the clammers used a 30 x 100 centimeter board while clamming -- and in the process, discovered a new speed game. Skilot was born.
According to local figure Abdussalam, skilot racing began in the mid-1980s: "The local government thought this cultural event had tourism potential, so they established the contest."
In the mid-1990s, owing to its huge popularity, the East Java government built a skilot racetrack in Tanah Lekok Pasuruan. The track is shaped like a horseshoe and is 100 meters long. Racers get ready on an embankment about halfway down the track, while spectators line up on the opposite bank.
Asmawi, a Lekok Pasuruan resident known as a skilot expert, said that although the sport might look easy to master, some skill was required to control a skilot board, particularly in balancing on the board.
Racers keep their bodies low over the board, grasping the board handle with both hands and supporting their weight on one knee while kicking with the other leg like an oar to propel the skilot across the mud. Breathing in this position takes some training as well.
"Frankly, strong breathing is highly crucial to skilot surfing, and if your breathing isn't strong enough, you'll get tired after only a few meters," smiled Asmawi.
No binding rules exist in skilot, and the boards are made by racers themselves. Participants draw lots to determine their starting positions, a signal is given, and they are off across the mud.
"It's a simple arrangement, but racers do get disqualified," said racing committee head Mujiyin, "particularly if racers use both legs for kicking."
This year's competition involved 44 adult racers and four child racers from Pasuruan's fishing, clamming and fish farming communities, who vied for the top three spots and a combined cash prize of Rp 1.8 million. But all racers receive a Rp 10,000 participation gift prize.
"Everyone's a winner," said Mujiyin.
Friday, November 03, 2006
11 confirmed dead after boat capsizes off Madura, Indonesia
Published by The Jakarta Post Friday Edition, November 03, 2006
Eleven people drowned Wednesday evening when a fishing boat carrying 21 passengers capsized in the waters of Karang Nangka, off Sumenep regency, Madura, an official said Thursday.
The tragedy occurred when the group left Raas island to visit the graves of relatives on neighboring Sapudi island, before continuing on to Bali where they work, Sumenep Water and Air Police chief Adj. Comr. Hariyanto said.
The 21 people leased a fishing boat that only had a capacity of 15, and the load was made even heavier because the boat was also carrying two motorbikes and other goods, Hariyanto said.
Fishermen from Raas and Sapudi islands picked up the survivors and the bodies of the dead, he said. The officer added that nine of the victims had already been buried on Sepudi island and the other two on Raas.
At the start of the journey, the boat almost overturned after being hit by large waves, but the captain managed to maintain control. "However, when the boat reached a distance of five to 10 miles from Sepudi island, it capsized, forcing the passengers into the sea," Hariyanto said.
Fishermen on a nearby boat managed to rescue 10 passengers, but were unable to save the other 11, he said.
Hariyanto added that the fishermen also rescued the owner of the capsized boat.
"The boat owner, identified as Rudi, 38, and his unidentified assistant are being detained at Sapudi Police station for questioning," Sumenep Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Muallimin said, as quoted by Antara.
According to some reports, the boat owner initially refused to take on so many passengers, but eventually relented in the face of their demands.
Eleven people drowned Wednesday evening when a fishing boat carrying 21 passengers capsized in the waters of Karang Nangka, off Sumenep regency, Madura, an official said Thursday.
The tragedy occurred when the group left Raas island to visit the graves of relatives on neighboring Sapudi island, before continuing on to Bali where they work, Sumenep Water and Air Police chief Adj. Comr. Hariyanto said.
The 21 people leased a fishing boat that only had a capacity of 15, and the load was made even heavier because the boat was also carrying two motorbikes and other goods, Hariyanto said.
Fishermen from Raas and Sapudi islands picked up the survivors and the bodies of the dead, he said. The officer added that nine of the victims had already been buried on Sepudi island and the other two on Raas.
At the start of the journey, the boat almost overturned after being hit by large waves, but the captain managed to maintain control. "However, when the boat reached a distance of five to 10 miles from Sepudi island, it capsized, forcing the passengers into the sea," Hariyanto said.
Fishermen on a nearby boat managed to rescue 10 passengers, but were unable to save the other 11, he said.
Hariyanto added that the fishermen also rescued the owner of the capsized boat.
"The boat owner, identified as Rudi, 38, and his unidentified assistant are being detained at Sapudi Police station for questioning," Sumenep Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Muallimin said, as quoted by Antara.
According to some reports, the boat owner initially refused to take on so many passengers, but eventually relented in the face of their demands.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Students watch over school as mud rises
Children of Besuki Village, Published by The Jakarta Post on Thursday, October 26, 2006
With the rising sea of mud in Sidoarjo, East Java, threatening their school, three students at Jawahirul Ulum Muslim boarding school volunteered to stay behind during the Idul Fitri holiday and prepare for the worst.
The three -- Syafe'i, Nanang Hadi and Firdaus -- remained at the ready to evacuate school equipment, as well as overseeing activities at the prayer room located on the campus in Besuki village.
"Our friends went home to celebrate Idul Fitri with their families, so we are in charge of all the activities here," Nanang said.
The three chose to stay behind in case the nearby sea of mud flooded the campus, forcing the evacuation of the school's head, H. Amin Muhyiddin, and his family, as well as all the school's property.
"We were worried about what could happen to our school. That's why we decided not to go home," Syafe'i said.
These fears are not without reason. Besuki village, where Jawahirul Ulum is situated, is officially located in the danger zone surrounding the site of the disaster. The boarding school, which houses about 150 students, is located about one kilometer from the gas exploration well from which the mud is pouring, and only 200 meters from one of the embankments constructed to contain the mud beside the Surabaya-Gempol turnpike.
Last month much of Besuki village was inundated by up to one meter of mud. As a result, about 900 students from the village's elementary, junior high and high schools have been unable to attend classes.
"I was on campus when the mud starting flowing in," Nanang said, adding that everyone took shelter on the second floor of the boarding school's main building.
While the majority of students and faculty moved off campus to a safer area, boarding school head Amin and his family have insisted on remaining in their home.
"Due to that incident, we decided not to go home. We have to be on the alert in case the mud floods the village again, including our school," he said.
Nanang, Syafe'i and Firdaus said they respected the decision of their friends to go home for the Idul Fitri holiday until Oct. 31.
While confident they are doing the right thing, the three boys say it was not easy to pass on the chance to spend time with family and friends back home.
"Normally I would go home to my parents in Sidoarjo to ask for forgiveness. Now all I can do is pray for them from a distance," Syafe'i said.
Amin praised the decision of the three students to stay at the school over the Idul Fitri holiday.
Despite the earlier flooding incident, Amin expressed hope the school would not be shut down by the mud. "I'm sure the mud will not inundate these buildings again ... I don't know why, I just submit to my fate," said the school leader.
Amin, 82, also said this mudflow disaster should prompt the nation to ask itself some difficult questions. "Why is nature seemingly turning on us, and what has caused all of this?"
Meanwhile, many people took advantage of the holiday to get a closer look at the disaster area. Many people driving on the Surabaya-Gempol pulled off onto the shoulder of the road and got out to gaze over the sea of mud.
Also, work was halted during Idul Fitri on the construction of ditches to channel the mud into the nearby Porong River as people celebrated the holiday.
Promoting and preserving historical texts through T-shirts
Kuncarsono, Publised by The Jakarta Post on Monday, October 30, 2006
Historical documents can be preserved in many ways, such as by keeping them in display cabinets, reinscribing them or framing them.
However, Kuncarsono Prasetyo has his own distinct way of preserving them -- printing the old texts on T-shirts.
"I want people to know that there's a uniqueness in the old texts, and one of the ways to preserve them is to print them on T-shirts," Kuncarsono, fondly called Kuncar, told The Jakarta Post.
His attraction for the old texts started when he worked as a reporter with a local publication. The former student activist was then writing about historical documents in East Java. He noticed that each document had its own character.
"I'm surprised that not many people are aware of these historical works -- such as old advertisements, stamps and coins, which have their own distinct character -- they are only stored in cabinets at the library," he said.
He said that the old advertisements and stamps, for example were well designed, through which they have now transformed into various styles.
He said that many people were unfamiliar with the faces of the country's historical figures.
"Few people in East Java recognize the faces of Javanese rulers, or even regents who played a vital role in the country's history," he said.
Not to mention local figures, who are known to people only by their names, such as Cak Durasim, Sarip Tambak Yoso, Besoet and Sakerah.
"People know overseas figures like Che Guavara and Malcolm X better, despite the fact that East Java figures like Cak Durasim, Sarip Tambak Yoso, Besoet and Sakerah, without doubt were also revolutionary figures," said Kuncar.
Cak Durasim, for example was known for his fiery poems which aroused the fighting spirit of freedom fighters against the Japanese occupying forces. He was later arrested and banished by the Japanese forces, but had successfully ignited the spirit of the Arek Surabaya freedom fighters at that time.
With Rp 10 million (US$1,100) as capital, Kuncar, together with a local artist, Junaedi, started printing the historical texts on T-shirts. Although the business was a gamble, the move was deemed timely due to the current retro and vintage fashion trend.
"People say the trend now is anything that is old, so there's no harm trying to familiarize the public with history and at the same time sell T-shirts," he quipped.
Kuncar chose old advertisements as his initial project. The ads have their own distinctive character, especially in the use of the Indonesian language, such as an ad about a rabies drug published in the Tjahaja Siang daily in 1869, that is cited as the oldest ad in the book Indonesian Advertising History published by the Association of Indonesian Advertising Agencies (PPPI). The other ad is on the Bintang Timoer Band printed in the Keng Po newspaper in 1932 and the Surabaya municipality ad printed in the Alijoem daily in 1936.
"The newspapers which had published the ads don't exist anymore, but that's what makes it more interesting," said Kuncar.
He plans to print T-shirts of old stamps and historical portraits later. "I will produce other themes when I've collected from the sales of the ad T-shirts," said Kuncar.
Kuncar allows anyone to copy his T-shirts.
"Please, do duplicate my T-shirts. I won't sue anyone because every Indonesian citizen has the right to obtain historical information," he said.
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