Contrast: The colorful houses of Kampung Warna Warni in Jodipan (right) stand in sharp contrast to the settlement on the other side of the Brantas River in Malang, East Java.

Eight communication students from Malang’s Muhammadiyah University (UMM) have converted a slummy settlement in the Jodipan area of Blimbing district, Malang, East Java, into a tourist destination.

Today, the Brantas riverbank zone in Malang, East Java, displays neat homes with colorful roofs, walls, gates, footpaths and stone steps.

The students, calling themselves “Guys Pro Komunikasi UMM”, are Nabila Firdausiyah as group leader, Ira Yulia Astutik, Dinni Anggraeni, Salis Fitria, Wahyu Fitri Aningtyas, Elmy Rukhiatun Nur Aidah, Fahd Afdallah Ramadhan and Ahmad Wiratman.

Dinni said her group was taking a course in event public relations, in which they were tasked with creating a program beneficial to the local community in cooperation with a private company or the government.

“After three months of research, we decided to initiate a voluntary suburb cleaning program that would include the painting of houses and murals,” she said.

She said the program was appropriate because it involved cleanliness, beauty, creativity and community participation. Guys Pro’s quick action secured the sponsorship of PT Inti Daya Guna Aneka Warna, a paint company in Malang. The group also used the activity as a way to promote a cleaner lifestyle among the local people.

Bright spots: Various corners of Kampung Warna Warni in Jodipan have become interesting spots for pictures and selfies.

The house-painting project was inspired by a settlement zone in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During their presentation to residents and company representatives, the students presented some edited photos and posters to show what Jodipan homes would look like before and after the paint job, as seen from a nearby bridge.

“For the painted homes, we added some color to the photos using a simple computer program,” Dinni explained.

At first, the students faced difficulties in approaching the residents, but they quickly resolved it after learning about community leadership in the area.

Ira, another member of the group, said people in the Brantas riverbank area were more obedient to Pairin, the head of the community unit (RW), than the subdistrict head. Fortunately, Pairin was supportive of the program.

“We arranged his meeting with locals to explain the program,” said Ira.

The program finally kicked off on May 22 with painting the roofs and cleaning the walls of at least 90 houses. The painting work started in the early fasting month, involving Guys Pro, local residents, artists and the Malang mural community, who were working hand in hand to decorate gates and stone steps.

Ira said the activities progressed quite smoothly, despite a bit of rain, some high walls, brittle roof frames and the long Idul Fitri holidays.

“Thank God our sponsor, besides contributing 3 tons of free paint, also sent its workers, while Air Force personnel helped with painting steep walls by rappelling down them,” she said.

The change in appearance gradually produced a positive impact. The clean and colorful environment motivates residents to maintain cleanliness and avoid littering. The program had another impact beyond its expected benefits, as the subdistrict drew in visitors from outside the area. Every day, hundreds of people visit Jodipan, taking pictures and selfies.

Photos taken from the bridge that links the main roads of Jl. Panglima Sudirman and Jl. Gatot Subroto and published through social media have prompted visitors to dub the zone Malang’s Rio de Janeiro.

“The local people just call their settlement Kampung Warna-Warni (colorful village),” Ira said.

She said the tourism impact had not been part of their plan. In fact, group members had expressed concern about possible cultural frictions if the residents were not ready to welcome visitors from outside the city, including foreigners. That is why the students will continue to guide locals until the program is over at the end of August.

Meanwhile, visitors are welcomed warmly, and residents have begun to sell snacks and drinks, besides earning some revenue from parking fees.

“Tourist arrivals apparently also motivate them to keep their village environment clean,” Ira said, adding that after working on the project for months, her group had became close to the residents.

Members of Guys Pro hope the program will inspire the Malang city administration to help improve other settlements along the Brantas riverbanks through sustainable education and information on cleanliness and hygiene.

Residents of the Jodipan subdistrict should also understand the need for maintenance in their area, as outdoor paint generally loses its bright shine after around three years.

“If the zone is to be preserved as a tourist village, tourism education is also needed,” Ira said.

Meanwhile, the city administration plans to declare Kampung Warna-Warni in Jodipan a Malang tourist village. Malang Deputy Mayor Sutiaji said priority would be given to tackling mounting garbage on the riverbanks, before the city would begin to arrange facilities like parking lots.

“We will first coordinate with several institutions, ranging from the city park and sanitation office to the tourism and culture agency ,” he said during a visit to Jodipan.

— Photos by Nedi Putra AW

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