Uplifting the Status of Gangga Island
Farid Bachmid, 58, holds Gangga Island, his hometown, close to his heart. After years of wandering as a teacher and entrepreneur, he returns with the determination to elevate the status of coastal communities.
Farid Bachmid, 58, holds Gangga Island, his hometown, close to his heart. After years of wandering as a teacher and entrepreneur, he returns with the determination to elevate the status of coastal communities. He strives for this through non-formal education at the center of community learning activities.
Farid looked nervous on Saturday (29/8/2020) afternoon, as if there was something wrong in the Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center (PKBM) building. The study hall was dusty, and the roof of the office and library next to the hall had almost collapsed. The yard of the building was dull without decorations.
It was understandable, the learning center for Packages A, B, and C participants on Gangga Island, especially Gangga II village, North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, has been inactive for five months.
"We could only come again in March. Since the start of the pandemic, the mobility of residents from Manado to the surrounding areas had been limited, especially the crossing to the island,” said Farid.
He took inventory of what facilities should be added or replaced, including books that were missing from the library. "People borrowed them, but forever. So later we would add them so that residents could read here,” he said, laughing.
On the other hand, Farid was relieved that travel restrictions had been relaxed. He could also return to routine activities every weekend, namely returning to his hometown for a while to Gangga Island to teach at Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center.
Together with his wife, children, and volunteer teachers, he traveled about 43 kilometers from Manado to Likupang, North Minahasa, then sailed by boat taxi for about 45 minutes to the docks at Gangga II village in the north of Gangga Island. There are 19 active participants of Package A, 47 participants Package B, and 73 students Package C who always wait for him.
"The age of participants in the equality program is in the range of 25-45 years. Students usually study face-to-face at least twice a week. We collect not a single penny from them," he said.
Farid began establishing Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center in 2010 on a plot of land owned by his family on the beachfront of Gangga II village. He personally spent around Rp 200 million to build the building. All funds came from his income as a teacher and seaweed exporter from Nain Island, the hometown of his wife, Suriati Sorongan, 48.
At that time, Farid was still working as a teacher in Ternate, North Maluku. However, before the community learning center building was completed in 2012, Farid always took the time to teach in this village with a population of 800 people almost every month. So, technically, Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center has been active since 2010.
From the records of the Education Main Data of the Education and Culture Ministry in the 2010-
2017 period, the community learning center managed by Farid has graduated 79 students of Package A, 240 students of Package B, and 378 students of Package C. The number is more than half of the 1,200 residents of Gangga Island, which consists of Gangga I and Gangga II villages.
"The number of graduates could be higher after the updating of the data. Through this community learning center, residents in Gangga II village and Gangga Island can be considered equal to those who take formal schooling," said Farid.
According to Farid, among the Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center graduates, there are those who have become security guards, ship crews, ship engine technicians, shop employees, up to law graduates. The non-formal learning activities center that he founded has also succeeded in producing village officials, including the head of Gangga II village.
All of these jobs require high school diploma requirements or the equivalent. "Alhamdulillah, I am grateful to be able to help them get that opportunity through Pursuing Package C," said Farid.
Care
Born to a family of Arab descent on Gangga Island, Farid was lucky because he was able to pursue a formal education pathway to be able to make a career for himself. His situation is different from the residents of Gangga Island in general who uphold maritime culture by becoming fishermen.
As a result, the interest in studying in formal schools is low because of the demands to make a living.
According to Farid, there is a community mindset that states that fishing is a job that demands a great deal of expertise from experience, not from formal education. As a result, the interest in studying in formal schools is low because of the demands to make a living.
From here, Farid\'s concern grew until his heart was moved to build Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center. However, the care alone is not enough for Farid, it must be institutionalized. Because, many people have volunteered to open learning activities to gather volunteers, but have not been able to bring about significant changes.
"Don\'t be half-hearted, what we do must have an impact. Therefore, it is better for me to manifest this awareness in the form of community learning center. If people can get certificates equivalent to those of the elementary school (SD), junior high school (SMP), or senior high school (SMA), they can find work and get a more decent life,” said Farid.
Indeed Farid is already good at teaching in formal schools. However, he must develop the method applied in non-formal schools by himself. Because, it is impossible to ask adults to sit in class. Then, community learning center students are invited to study while hanging out, accompanied by coffee and cigarettes, during the face-to-face meeting with Farid and the volunteer teachers.
Consequently, students must be self-disciplined even though they are faced with busy activities as fishermen or taking care of their children.
Because he can only come on weekends, Farid also applies two other learning methods at the community learning center, namely tutorials outside the classroom and independent study by reading books and practicing to do tests. "This is the most effective way that we can apply on the sidelines of our own busy schedule. Consequently, students must be self-disciplined even though they are faced with busy activities as fishermen or taking care of their children,” he said.
According to Farid, the most important thing about the learning process at community learning center is that the material listed in the syllabus is conveyed to students without the need for years of study. If the students are seen to have been ready, he will invite them to take the national equality exam which is held twice a year.
The spirit of volunteering to teach has also passed down to Farid\'s son, Faradila Bachmid, 29, who always goes to Gangga Island to teach. According to Faradila, the non-formal education pioneered by her father was part of the movement to advance literacy.
Now, Farid has established three Community Learning Centers in four locations, namely Tut Wuri Handayani Community Learning Center in Gangga II village, Ibu Pertiwi Community Learning Center on Nain Island and Tangkasi Island (North Minahasa), and Sam Ratulangi Community Learning Center in Manado. The three community learning centers, each managed by himself, his wife, and daughter, are currently educating 526 students of the equality program who are still active.
Therefore, Farid gets an honorable place among the residents of Gangga Island, so he is nicknamed Ami (Uncle) Farid. However, Farid\'s feet remain to touch the ground. There is a noble task that he wants to continue in order to equalize residents who drop out of school with those who are more fortunate.
Farid Bachmid
Born: Manado, 15 March 1962
Education: S-1 Bachelor’s degree majoring in civil engineering, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado
Children: 3
Occupation:
- Headmaster of SMP PGRI 3 junior high school in Manado 1988-2002
- Head of the Planning Section of the Ternate City Education Office 2003-2008
- Acting headmaster of SMK 2 vocational school, Ternate city 2009-2014
- The person responsible for the technical I