The Joyful Activities for Children and Community in Asmat, Papua
The Asmat Regency in South Papua is one of the most difficult regions to access in Indonesia. On top of that, the geographical conditions of the children and communities' settlements are mostly swamps. Yet, despite these locational challenges, the people of Asmat are still eager to learn new things. Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) is here to grow with the children and communities of Asmat, working together to develop various solutions to meet the needs of the children and the community that have so far not been met.
The desire and enthusiasm for new knowledge comes from a father of two named Albert (40). "I'm happy WVI is in our village. We can take part in various good activities and also develop our skills and character to become even better," he said.
Albert is a family man with two children, Matelda (20) and Efesus (5). He is a farmer, just like most of the men in Asmat, growing tubers and vegetables in his garden. He is a skilled and hardworking farmer. At home, Albert is a father who is very supportive of his children's education. Therefore, he was very happy when WVI came to his village and facilitated various activities. The new insights he gained could be additional provisions to further support his children's education.
For Albert, the activities he participates in have a huge impact on him and his family. "At first, I thought that to teach a child, you had to get angry and hit them. But after attending this parenting training, I just learned that to teach children, you have to be patient so they can understand quickly," he said after attending a Parenting Awareness training in his village.
In addition to the parenting training, Albert is also involved in the Floating Nutrition Garden activities. Not only has he built a garden near his house, but he has also taken part in various mentoring activities so that the garden's produce can also provide economic benefits for his family. He was involved in everything from training on planting seedlings and preparing healthy food to financial literacy. After gaining this knowledge, Albert became an active member of the community's savings and loan group. This group uses a simple savings and loan model that WVI has implemented in various other assisted villages, which is called S4T (Savings for Transformation).
"This savings and loan group is very good. I feel helped because it is easy for us to save, and the rules created in this group are also the result of our own agreement. Because of that, this group can adjust to our capacity," he said. Previously, Albert had a savings account, but because of transportation constraints and the long distance from the village to the bank, he could not continue saving at the bank.
For Albert, WVI's activities bring joy to him, his family, and the people in his village. The parents are now more concerned with their children's growth and development. Daily vegetable needs can be met. The village's economy is also starting to move because people have started to manage their family finances. These positive changes can be realised thanks to the great people of Asmat and the good cooperation with WVI.
Author: Alfred Robert Dadi (Field Facilitator for Asmat Area Programme)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
