Community Service Program in Tombolo Pao, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

In the June-August 2019, before I went to Japan I had community service Program about 2 months. This program held by university and did almost in all Indonesia regions. This program had purpose for make students can apply their knowledge which is got from university in society and teach how to live in society. The student must do this program as a requirement to graduate. We must do some programs that can improve the area potency. We must had same direction to make the village that we lived can be improved or the villagers can get new knowledge and useful.

89350

89353

89352

I did my community service in Kanreapia, Gowa, Tombolo Pao. It is 3 hours from Makassar (capital city) by car. It is a small village that had many good potentials of resources and the condition is so cold because the location is in the mountains. Every day, this area was covered with fog with a visibility of only 1 until 2 meters. Although this area is cold but it doesn’t makes us give up because society is very kind, friendly and make us surely happy and make our heart warm. We lived with a small family who is very kind, welcome and loving us. They always help us and shared something or information together.

The children in this area also always happy play traditional games together. It’s touched my heart, they don’t need expensive toys or gadgets for making them happy just small gift or play with them together. When we teach them to plant flower or crop used plastic glass and colored it they are very happy and bring it back to home. Every meet they will tell us about the condition of their plants. It makes us happy. We teach them to write and read Arabic and Indonesia font. Until now, sometimes they call me using their parent phone.

What is interesting about this place is the area is one of the supplier vegetables like carrot, potato, cabbage, and leek in Indonesia and the scenery is very beautiful and awesome. The agriculture system in there is intercropping. It is system planting with combine more than one plant in the same place. It is good system due to can increase the yield. The problem of the agriculture is many farmers use pesticide to control the pest and disease that attack their crop. So, from this problem we give some information that pesticide is dangerous and it have negative effect for environment and consumers especially farmers. We and the extension agent introduce biology control with using refuge plants and use biology pesticide from tobacco due to it easy to find tobacco in this area.

In this area also have ecotourism from the beautiful scenery, farming, and the waterfall. There are 3 waterfalls with clear water and not pollution and make us relax after go there. There are many insects with big shape and the children always looking for the insect to play. Sometimes we give them information to don’t play with insect because some of them is dangerous.

89375

89374

89339

89348

The culture was so awesome. From their house, they have traditional house we called it “rumah panggung” and it has 2 levels or stages which is first level for storage to keep their harvest and the second level for home. They have traditional costume, we called it “baju bodo” that just wear in special moments like a wedding, ceremony, and formal moments sometimes.

Time passed so quickly, in the end of our program, we did farewell party it enjoying this activity together with society. Which makes me sad is must having part with family that we lived together in their home and children. Before we back to our university, one of the children give me small gift and it surely make me sad and cry. She said with crying that it is for you and please don’t forget with us, she hope she can go Yogyakarta to meet with me. Thank you for the opportunity and unforgettable experience for me. I hope I can meet with them again.