Ananda Buddhisuharto who has a background as a teacher wants to make sure that the streets and sidewalks in the heart of the Bandung city, West Java, are clean and comfortable for residents to do their activities.
By
NASRULLAH NARA
·5 minutes read
When most residents are still sleeping, Ananda Buddhisuharto, 55, is already on the streets. The man who has a background as a teacher wants to make sure that the streets and sidewalks in the heart of the Bandung city, West Java, are clean and comfortable for residents to do their activities.
Weekends and public holidays, including Idul Fitri, are the most challenging time for Ananda. Understandably, these are the days when the city of Bandung, West Java, is always crowded with tourists from various regions. One of the main factors people love to visit the city of "Paris van Java" is its beautiful atmosphere and clean areas, including shopping and culinary centers.
“This comfortable situation certainly cannot be separated from the contribution of street sweepers who diligently pick up and sweep up the garbage generated from people’s activities in general. The mentality of street sweepers needs to be maintained,” Ananda said in Bandung last week.
Through Sekolah Hidup Indonesia (Indonesian School of Life), which he founded 12 years ago, Ananda's talents and potential as an educator are growing well. He is no longer teaching in front of the classroom as he did a dozen years ago when he was a teacher in a number of junior high schools in Bandung. Since 2014, or the last eight years, he has been actively involved in building the character of hundreds of street sweepers, a community that may have gone unnoticed by the people for a long time.
The street sweepers are taught the many aspects of character building such as work attitude, time discipline, behavior while on duty, how to interact socially, how to dress and how to greet residents.
Sometimes the street sweepers get briefings at SHI, which is located at Ananda’s residence on Jl. Batik Kumeli, Sukaluyu, Bandung. However, in general, they more often get the lessons at worksites scattered in various areas, including in the city’s "zero kilometer” marker and other areas. Streets, sidewalks, parks and other public spaces are used as teaching sites "so that street sweepers can immediately practice [what they learned", said Ananda.
Whenever he meets his fostered community, Ananda always emphasizes the attitude of never giving up, never complaining, let alone pitying themselves.
“No one aspires to be a street sweeper. However, try to do this work with a sincere heart because it could be part of good deeds to spread kindness to others,” said Ananda, who was immediately agreed by members of the street sweeper community who surrounded him.
Tips for educating children in the family are also included. Ananda was born and grew up in Semarang, Central Java, in a modest family. His mother is a jamu (herbal medicine) seller. To meet the school's needs, including shoes, he had to work as a newspaper hawker and even as a driver.
That's why he often stressed the importance of appreciating the process of hard work. For street sweepers who excel academically and want to continue their education at university, he seeks scholarships for them.
"I will look for donors. Getting some things with effort is more dignified than begging and asking for help directly. The hand above is nobler than the hand below,” said Ananda, who always gets along with people from all walks of life regardless of their social status.
He also encouraged street sweepers in Bandung to be grateful for their wages, which have already exceeded the regional minimum wage (UMK) level. Currently, they earn Rp 3.9 million (US$278.5) a month, higher than the city’s UMK of Rp 3.7 million.
"Being grateful for what we get by working better is definitely a blessing," he said.
In celebrating Idul Fitri, Ananda raised donations from various groups to support road sweepers.
Concrete example
His wife, Sandra, who is also a teacher, and their child's, Fiansa and Karina (both graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology) strongly support his mission to spread kindness. He does not only teach others to raise a family but also become a concrete example for them.
The military educational institution also hired him as an instructor for mental character development, including sharing his public speaking experience.
His expertise in acting as an MC in various national-scale forums, which is commensurate with his pedagogic skills, has also been appreciated. As an MC practitioner, Ananda has been trusted by several universities to teach communication and personality, such as the School of Communication, Padjadjaran University and the Bandung Institute of Technology's School of Business Management. The military educational institution also hired him as an instructor for mental character development, including sharing his public speaking experience.
Ananda is special. He does not have a bachelor's degree but can teach at universities. In 1986, after graduating from SMA Kolese Loyola Semarang high school, he was accepted into the Department of Communication at Diponegoro University. However, at that time he preferred to move to Bandung. His activities have even covered all aspects of human life.
Ananda Buddhisuharto
Born: Semarang, 11 March, 1967
Wife: Sandra (53)
Children: Fiansa (25) and Karina (22)
Education:SMA Kolese Loyola
Semarang high school (1985)
Activities:
- Managing Indonesian School of Life
(2010-present)
- Teacher at SMP-SMA St Aloysius
Bandung junior and senior high school (1988-1994)
- Teacher at SMA Trinitas Bandung high school
(1989-1996)
- Teacher at SMA Angela Bandung high school (1992-1999)
- Lecturer in the D-3 Program of School of Communication at Padjadjaran University (2002-2007)
- Guest Lecturer at the School of Business and Management of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) (2006-2009)
- Mentor at MBA-CCE of ITB (2011-2013).
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.