Children, adults learn a lesson or two about nature

Theresia Sufa ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Bogor   |  Sat, 05/03/2008 11:14 AM  |  City

MAKE IT REAL

Away from traffic and shopping malls, the Kampung Pending alternative school has become a popular place for city dwellers who want to learn more about the environment.

Every month, no fewer than 400 school students spend a whole day in the facility, which sits in Kampung Bojong Menteng, in Cimande Hilir in Caringin district, Bogor regency.

Short for Kampung Pendidikan Lingkungan (environmental education village), Kampung Pending was established in 2002 by Yayasan Rimbawan Muda Indonesia (RMI), a foundation formed by forest conservationists.

The foundation is based in Sempur, Bogor.

The kampong spreads across 1 hectare, of which 3,000 square meters is open, green space where visitors can learn to farm or to plant rice. Also in the area are three lodges, which can hold up to 80 people, one multifunction hall and one gazebo used as a dining room.

Nina Nurania, who is in charge of the education programs, said the facility was originally built to accommodate the foundation's forest conservation education programs, especially for those living in the vicinity of Mt. Halimun Salak National Park.

"The other reason we built the kampong is to create a sustainable source of income for the organization," she told The Jakarta Post recently.

She said school-aged students preferred programs such as cross-country and river exploration, which allows participants to monitor the river ecosystem.

Cisadane and Cimande Rivers run through Kampung Pending.

Students from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture also visit the kampong to conduct research in the area, which is home to the kukang or Sunda Loris, a species of lemur.

Other visitors are those who want to learn about waste recycling and farming.

"We also have programs such as leadership workshops and Islamic holiday camps for children," Nina said.

The alternative school, Sekal, for illiterate kampong children, was built in March 2006.

The children are taught not only reading and writing but also arts to boost their self-confidence.

There are currently 40 children attending Sekal, including some who have studied in formal schools.

The children can express their creativity by making handicrafts such as clay ashtrays and the stoves still used by local residents.

"I'm into plays and poetry as well as making clay ashtrays and stoves. Whenever my grandmother's stove breaks, I can fix it," said Hamdani, an 11-year-old in the 6th grade of Islamic elementary school Tamhidiyah Cimande, who regularly joins in activities at Sekal.

"The tutors from RMI often remind us to protect the forest to keep the temperature from rising, and to protect the rivers so we don't have to suffer from a water crisis, and to keep the soil fertile so we can continue to benefit from it."

Sinta, a housewife from Kebon Manggis subdistrict in Matraman, East Jakarta, who takes part in the waste recycling program, said the environmental education could be profitable.

"Now we know we can plant organic vegetables in used plastic bottles and bags ... Although we don't have backyards in Jakarta, we can still have an organic farm," she said.

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