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How one man transformed a regular village into a cyber-kampung
Kampoeng Cyber, a village in Yogyakarta, has made headlines for attracting big names such as Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Maxima.
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Modern neighborhood: A mural welcomes visitors to Kampoeng Cyber. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung) (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)
Antonius Sasongko Wahyu Kusumo knows how to transform a kampung into a digital village.
As its name implies, Kampoeng Cyber, located in Patehan subdistrict, Yogyakarta, has made technology an integral part of its residents’ working lives, with a high-speed internet connection that pervades business and public spheres.
Kampoeng Cyber is within the compound of the Kraton, home to Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.
If you visit his water castle, Taman Sari, and explore tourist spots across the site, from royal swimming pools to a historic underground mosque, you will pass through Kampoeng Cyber. The village is pleasant to look at, with colorful murals decorating alleys, houses and shops that sell products such as batik shirts, paintings and handicrafts.
“We feel honored that this kampung was once visited by the king of another country. Our king [Sri Sultan] has never visited this kampung, despite its popularity and close proximity [to his residence],” said Antonius Sasongko Wahyu Kusumo, the head of the kampung’s neighborhood unit (RT), laughing.
Champion of progress
Sasongko is the man behind the digital innovation in Kampoeng Cyber. In May, he was named one of 20 local champions by the Communications and Information Ministry for his contributions to the digital transformation of RT 36 into Kampoeng Cyber.
