ANOTHER TRIP TO MEKAR JAYA

I felt that time is moving very slowly and so is our program everywhere in all those villages. Unless it is handled then people will read our news as bragging. No choice but move on to the next step.

Here comes the story of another trip to Mekar Jaya. A bundle of program need to be settled. We started with the cooking class. This is meant to be the second cooking class. With the assistance of our consultant we have gone through the first. Then the product was launched during the 58th anniversiry of my organization. In terms of quality it wasnt bad, but I cant say it's good. However, the event has put them in a motivation roller coaster. Unless we manage their motivation, it will fade out.

The second cooking class was meant to improve the process of cooking. I was lucky that the Natural Cooking Class assisted me. I like their process in which Ibu-ibu are encouraged to form a community of practice without even mentioning the jargons. Hopefully it works, though I know that another intervention need to be organized. Out of this second class, their process in cookie production was sharpened. The next motivation roller coaster will be on, when they are asked to produce cookies for Lebaran. Should they manage to do this, then I have the third cooking class in mind, aiming at improving the taste. Melt in your tongue and twirl your mind. That might sound like a good tag line for their product.

Beside the cooking class, we also kicked off the Teater Sampah. Basically creativity and sense of art is the end goal of this program. It is aimed at children up to year four. We tease their spirit with an initial movie. They looked happy and sounded excited. I could not wait for the next day program to start for I had to go home. On the next day program, they would be asked to write down a simple story and created the puppets for the performance. The puppets are made of recycle stuff. This program covers art, creativity and environmental issues.

I am not really keen on the computer and English program, because they dont meet my expectation. Those involved in this program were not the people that I expect would run the whole information system in the village. They were just kids who were curious of Personal Computer. I just wonder if it is possible to build an information system with a bunch curious kids. I was expecting the teenagers to get involved and run the program. Eghhhh.....

English was held for the sake of "I dont know what". I expected to see English for computers, but again....kids were attending this class. As I went through the classes...goodness.... they were irrelevant. I dont know what to say, english and computers are held to meet the requirements of a knowledge village, it's not there for the sake of entertaining people with twirling expectations that through the program they would be able to use the computers and english. Anyway...another program has to be run to make the dream come true, but this time we have to start with another angle. Maybe the concept of having a database for the cooking class will do. Let's see!!!

I love the educational program. We have managed to speak with the Kasudin and the principal as well the teachers. They themselves stated that they wanted to be Sekolah Unggulan, though they know that the roads ahead are steep and winding and they are the key players.

Anyway, another program and another trip. I still have two other Desa in my mind that need to be rocked.