Anak Rawa’s Unending War

KOMPAS/SYAHNAN RANGKUTI

Jani Mulyati Sembiring, 45, a tutor with the Basic Literacy program of the Education and Culture Ministry, gives a lesson to members of the Anak Rawa tribe community, in Penyengat Village, Sungai Apit District, Siak Regency, Riau. Most of the adults in the village are illiterate.

Indonesia’s illiteracy rate continues to drop. In 2017, only 3.4 million (2.07 percent) Indonesians aged 15-59 years old were illiterate. In the hinterland of Riau province, the war against illiteracy rages on.

Jani Mulyati Sembiring, 45, wrote letter after letter on the whiteboard. “What does this read, ladies?” she said, pointing toward the whole word. “This… is S. This… is A. This… is Y and this one… is A. If you read the whole word, it spells S-A-Y-A,” she said, spelling the word saya, meaning “I”. She repeated the process several times.

Of the 18 students she had in her “class” at the Kampung Penyengat hamlet hall, Sungai Apit district, Kampar regency, Riau, that Tuesday (31/7/2018), only three could fluently spell out the letters. The rest only stared in silence. It was not clear whether they actually knew how to spell but chose to say silent or whether they did not know to spell at all.

Jani’s class was not part of formal education. Most of her students could not read. On average, her students are local mothers in their 30s. The oldest was 72.

Most of them had never gone to school in their life. A few had gone to elementary school but then dropped out in the second or third grade.

Jani was a Basic Literacy tutor for the Anak Rawa ethnic group, a disadvantaged local community in Siak, Riau. The Basic Literacy program was provided by the Education and Culture Ministry. The ladies were locals on the shores of Siak regency, which faces Rangsang Strait, Meranti Islands regency, Riau. A majority of the locals are illiterate.

Sukim, 40, the student most adept at spelling, had gone to school until the second grade. As it turned out, she still remembered the letters that her teachers used to taught her. “I could not continue [my education] because my parents could not afford it,” she said.

Sukim has five children, three of whom are only elementary school graduates. The other two are now 7 and 9 and both go to a state elementary school at Kampung Penyengat hamlet. Sukim’s husband works as a construction worker in the village.

Why were her first three children not enrolled in middle school? “No need for more school,” she said, firmly. The three children, now teenagers, help their parents work on the field.

Nevertheless, Sukim took the occasion to relearn how to read. She said that the lessons made it easier for her to help her children with their reading lessons from school.

Sinar, 37, said she joined the reading class, while she had never gone to school in her life.

She said her grandmother often told her that girls had no need for education as they would always end up in the kitchen. “I want to be skilled in reading,” Sinar said.

Reading tutors Siti Aisyah, 29, and Desi Natalia, 30, said students should be able to recognize the alphabet and read after four months of learning. However, it is difficult to reach this target. Many students are busy with their work and often skip classes.

“We have 10 study groups here, each of which has 10 students. Class is held for three hours every Friday afternoon. However, often only six students show up,” said Desi, who is also a high teacher at Kampung Sungai Rawa village, which neighbors Kampung Penyengat village.

The class moves around to facilitate the students. Sometimes it is held at the customary hall, the village hall, on the field, at local homes or yards. “Sometimes we hold classes on the sidelines of our students’ weaving activity. The important thing for us is that they learn,” Desi said.

The problem is that the lessons are often repeated week after week because students who have not showed up for two or three weeks often return to class. “That’s a problem for us,” said Siti, another teacher.

However, Siti’s difficulties are considered minor. At least, her students are still willing to come to the classroom.

Youth’s role

It was Alit, 32, the first Anak Rawa ethnic group member with a university degree, who decided to stay in the village and help his community. Because of Alit, local women are willing to come to the classes and learn. As the person with the highest level of education in the village, Alit becomes the backbone in advancing the disadvantaged community.

“I have to continuously encourage the women here to be willing to read. I often joke around so that the women do not get angry when I tell them to study. It serves to motivate children and teenagers in the villages to continue their study as the school dropout rate here is very high. Only education can change the mindset of my fellow villagers,” said Alit, who is a contracted teacher at SMPN 6 state middle school in Kampung Penyengat village and a reading tutor.

Masdar, 53, chair of the Bina Harapan community learning center and coordinator of Anak Rawa Basic Literacy Program, said that Alit’s presence had been a huge boost for local educational programs. The Anak Rawa ethnic group is known for its reclusiveness. In the old times, the community preferred to move to another area when outsiders arrived.

“There is also a language barrier, as not everyone in the village can speak Indonesian. Alit often serves as translator,” Masdar said.

Kampung Penyengat is a disadvantaged village in Riau. Up to six years ago, there had been no access road. To reach the village, locals ride a traditional motorboat for three hours from the district capital in Sungai Apit. From provincial capital Pekanbaru, the journey takes 10 hours.

Now, the Siak regency administration has constructed a road and bridge that cut down the travel time from Pekanbaru to only five hours. From the village to the district’s downtown, it only takes two hours. The overland journey could have been taken more quickly but the access road towards Kampung Penyengat is heavily damaged as many large trucks heading to the Buton Harbor nearby often pass through it.

Now, the Anak Rawa community can accept outsiders among them. A majority of locals have switched from fishing to cultivating pineapples. One thing that has not changed is parents’ low education expectation of their children.

Alit and the basic literacy program for parents provide a new hope for a better future. An acceleration is necessary so that locals, who were once isolated, will realize that they are part of an Indonesia that gained independence 73 years ago.