2025 – #OTOTSENDI Week 2 – Back To Village
Not all young people want to return to their hometowns to serve or work. There are still many paradigms that big cities are more promising and have prestige. In fact, there are many spaces that can be managed and become jobs in the village. The second week, #OTOTSENDI discussed the topic “Back to Village” with three alumni: [1] Ahmad Rosadi (alumnus of Semarang State University), [2] Anastasia Kadek Dety Lestari (alumna of Nusa Cendana University) and [3] Dea Resty Fransiska (alumna of Padang State University).
Monday (March 10), Ahmad Rosadi who currently works as the Head of Ciawitali Hamlet, Gandungmangu Village, Cilacap Regency, Central Java shared his motivation to serve in the Hamlet. Currently, regional positions use tests and must go through several stages. He succeeded and is currently serving by serving the community which numbers hundreds of people. Often thought to be “still young” in carrying out duties. He proved that he was worthy with his performance and responsibility. He advised that if you want to serve in the Village, we must have a community-oriented mindset. While we are still young, we should refine our skills to understand people’s character, including those with limited education and those who are religiously devout.
Wednesday (12 March), Kadek is currently a lecturer at Timor University – located on the Indonesian border with Timor Leste. Becoming a lecturer makes Kadek feel accomplished and allows him to share knowledge with others. There are several challenges when teaching in border areas, especially in access to research. The challenges that Kadek faced were implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education for Lectures: Education, Research, and Community Service. Challenges in carrying out the Tri Dharma include improving facilities in remote areas, addressing limited understanding or overly simplistic thinking (such as individuals with technology illiteracy), dealing with signal difficulties, overcoming fundamental knowledge gaps, and striving to bring everyone at least equal. She encouraged everyone to prepare themselves to become the best version of individuals, innovative and creative as a valuable asset when returning to their communities. She emphasized that opportunities are not only found in big cities but also in each person’s local area.
Friday (March 14), Dea who currently works as a teacher at SLB Negeri Bangkinang Kota, Riau shared how to deal with deaf students and parents in villages where special education is still taboo. A big challenge is communicating with parents about the process that is necessary and not easy for children with special needs. However, they also deserve to get an education. There are still some parents in the village who do not want to provide education to their children with special needs. She shared that since high school, she has always enjoyed learning. This habit made her comfortable to observe her surroundings, and paying attention to how teachers guided their students. When she began teaching during her internship and tutoring sessions, she noticed that the methods she applied led to positive improvements in her students. Seeing this progress and witnessing her students’ growth gave her a sense of fulfillment and a small yet meaningful success. The main key is to learn to be sincere and wholehearted.
