Ora Et Labora, Pray and Work

Struggling with Human Resource Development

Oktrianto F. Wurangian

Being a student in Yogyakarta in 1997 became a luxurious status for me as son from a family who strive hard to fulfill daily needs by selling sago and cakes in a small town on the eastern tip of Indonesia, North of Papua, called Serui. Provided by church scholarship Rp 100.000 (one hundred thousand) per month, from Indonesian Christian Chuirch (GKI) Papua-Immanuel Serui kota, I was determined to go to Java.

Struggling with lectures at STAK Marturia, being active in student service of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, networking with many organizations and churches became the rhythm of my life while in Yogyakarta. Finally, the time itself brought me as part of testimony and service division at GKI Pondok Indah Jakarta which conducted activities in Hobart village of Sorong district, Papua in 2010. The service was getting more challenging when earthquake hit Serui in the same year. Also, together with 25 students from Yogyakarta we took a caring action program in Randawaya village for 1 month.

Upon the return of the students to Yogyakarta, I remained in Serui to carry out community empowerment activities in organic agriculture by forming Rambo Organic, a farmer group consisting of local residents, dropped out children, and those graduated from Vocational School but could not continue their education in university. Community empowerment in Rambai and Borai villages were held to answer existing problems such as: (1) vast and idle farmland but fertile, (2) Lack of understanding of agriculture, organic fertilizer making and pest prevention, (3) Dependency on nature by entering forests and take the products available in nature such as sago and forest vegetables, or look for shells on the beach or catch fish for food needs, (4) rice support from the government that makes people reluctant to produce by themselves, (5) bad way of life, such as drunk which drive to uncontrolled promiscuity.

The calling to participate in building human resources did not stop me, then my wife, Elfrida K. Siagian, S.Th, was called to see the education quality. She opened a free tutoring for children living around our rented house. There are around 30 children coming to learn reading and Math.

Our activities touched Mrs. Elin’s heart, the former head of Kasih Bangsa Christian School in Serui and supported us by providing chairs and blackboards. We also gave assistance in several villages such as Perea (1 hour from Serui by motorboat), Kairawi (3 hours from Serui by bus and crossing using rowboat for 15 minutes), and Panduami (1 hour from Serui).

Life is not just how to get something but give something to life itself. Thank you to Stube-HEMAT for the training, networking with many parties, and supporting the services I did in Serui. Building humans is not as easy as building house, and there are still many more things await to be built. ***

* Greeting the pouring rain at the end of November 2018, Omah Limasan, Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta