Indonesian rock climbing athlete, Aries Susanti Rahayu, broke the world record for women\'s speed with a time of 6.995 seconds in the final of the World Cup series in Xiamen, China, October 19, 2019. Aries is the daughter of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from Grobogan, Central Java.
Aries Susanti Rahayu (25), the daughter of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from Grobogan, Central Java, has managed to get through difficult times without the presence of her mother Maryati, who was working in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. When her mother left, Aries\'s father also worked in Surabaya, East Java, so that practically every day she only lived with her two older siblings.
However, Aries, who was left by her mother at the age of three, was able to excel in sports. She became a rock-climbing athlete who made Indonesia proud with achievements in competitions at home and abroad.
At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Aries won a gold medal. The following year, in October 2019, Aries broke the world record with a time of 6.995 seconds in speed-climbing at the Rock Climbing World Championship (IFSC World Cup) in China.
In the past, I was ashamed because, sorry to say, domestic assistant is considered a very low-level job, you know.
Initially, things were not easy for Aries. She felt inferior and ashamed, because her mother\'s job as a household/domestic assistant abroad was considered a lowly job.
"In the past, I was ashamed because, sorry to say, domestic assistant is considered a very low-level job, you know. In junior high school, when I was starting out as an athlete, I felt embarrassed that my mother works as a domestic assistant while the mothers of my other friends don\'t work like that," said Aries, Friday (5/3).
During her early years as an athlete, Aries had feelings of sadness, especially when she took part in competitions with neither her mother nor her father watching. Likewise, when she won at the Central Java Regional Olympics in 2009. "I wish mom and dad were here to see me winning the competition," she said.
Winning prizes, Aries has helped reduce the economic burden of the family as well as pave the way for her education. "The prize money helps me, because in the past we were short. Alhamdulillah, God really brought Aries to the world of rock climbing and got sustenance from it," said Aries, who as a child was a runner and had participated in competitions representing her school.
Just like Aries, Rindi Sufriyanto (29), a climbing athlete born in Jember, East Java, has managed to get through difficult times with achievements on the international stage.
At the 2018 Asian Games, he presented gold medals in rock climbing in the men’s speed relay category. The youngest of two siblings was also left by his parents, Djuartin and Hari Supomo, who worked as migrant workers in Malaysia. Rindi, who lived with his brother in Sukoharjo village, Probolinggo municipality, started to pursue rock climbing in Grade 1 at state vocational school SMK 2 Probolinggo. The difficult financial situation did not dampen his enthusiasm for training and competing.
His enthusiasm was high every time he went to school, because the rock-climbing practice was held after class.
He would use a bicycle that was missing one pedal to travel the 4 kilometers to his school. Because his financial situation was so difficult, Rindi also often appeared barefoot when he came to participate in competitions, because he didn\'t have enough money to buy shoes. The committee often reprimanded him and threatened to disqualify him.“My parents worked hard to pay for my school fees. I wanted to make them proud. This motivated me to achievements through rock climbing,” said Rindi, who can save money thanks to his achievements. In fact, his savings can pay for his parents’ umrah to the Holy Land.
My parents worked hard to pay for my school fees. I wanted to make them proud.
Make a movement
KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA
Cindy Purnama Putri, chairwoman of the Pandawa Children\'s Forum.
In Pandan Wangi village, Jerowaru district, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, numerous children of migrant workers who are members of the Pandan Wangi (Pandawa) Children’s Forum are showing resilience in going tough situations while their parents left to work abroad.
This is a forum [helping] children [with] their aspirations, participation and creativity in fulfilling our rights as children.
Since December 2017, the organization assists children who have experienced similar fates by helping to produce citizenship documents, mobilizing movements to prevent domestic violence, physical violence and sexual violence, and preventing child marriage.
"This is a forum [helping] children [with] their aspirations, participation and creativity in fulfilling our rights as children," said Cindy Purnama Putri (16), chairwoman of the Pandawa Children\'s Forum, Wednesday (3/3).
An advisor of the Pandawa Children’s Forum, who is also a cadre at the Pandan Wangi Women and Children Observer Forum, Muhammad Fahrul Azmi (22), said members of the forum were encouraged to serve as watchdogs and to understand various issues, including sexual violence, domestic violence and child labor.
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