Many people say Nur Kartika is a "crazy dentist". who has worked with her frequently on joint activities. Nur is a dentist who is committed to struggling for the advancement of education in Flores.
By
Frans Pati Herin
·5 minutes read
FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN
Nur Kartika
Still dressed in her surgical gown, Nur Kartika, 43, talked with several colleagues while sipping coffee in June 2022 on Maumere Beach, Sikka regency. The dentist, who had just returned home from her clinic, did not look tired when speaking about education inequality on Flores Island and in nearby areas.
The group was making a follow-up plans to help build a study room for the SDN Oka elementary school on Palue Island in Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). It is located in the northern part of the Flores Sea. From Maumere, Palue can be reached by ferry in around six hours during normal weather.
Several days earlier, Nur and a number of other volunteers had returned from monitoring SDN Oka, which was in a poor condition. The bamboo-walled building, with rusty secondhand zinc roofs and bare floors, was now decaying.
Built with community funding, the structure is divided into five rooms for the first to fifth grades. By the time students enroll for the 2022-2023 school year, another room will be needed.
“We brought several zinc roofs here yesterday, but it’s not enough. The local people are ready to build with natural materials like bamboo and wood,” said Nur.
SDN Oka is one of the many schools Nur and her team have visited. For more than seven years, they have launched several community initiatives that focus on education. The schools they have visited are mostly in the island’s interior.
Their activities began after the circulation of a photo showing elementary school students on Flores Island wearing flip-flops to class. The picture drew a great deal of public attention. Already active in various organizations, Nur was invited by her colleagues to launch a shoe drive to distribute footwear to the children in the photo. The activity grew and expanded, and it has delivered at least 100 pairs of shoes to 36 locations thus far.
This is a team effort. I’m just a small part [of it[.
They call the program Shoes for Flores, and target elementary school students. “This is a team effort. I’m just a small part [of it[. Many friends wanted to get involved. Support also comes from donors,” said Nur, a 2006 graduate of Gadjah Mada University.
Over time, their activities expanded beyond distributing shoes. They have also organized a variety of activities in the schools they visit, such as motivational classes, games, writing classes, photography classes, health checks, cancer awareness and economic empowerment programs for nearby communities. Their activities on Flores have covered the regencies of West Manggarai, Manggarai, East Manggarai, Nagekeo, Ngada, Ende, Sikka, East Flores and Lembata since 2014.
Their serious and consistent efforts to tackle education issues have prompted some government offices to partner with them on local projects. Several private agencies in Jakarta have also invited them to collaborate on humanitarian programs.
FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN
Nur Kartika
Before starting their activities at a target school, Nur and her team recruit interested volunteers. There are teachers, healthcare workers, journalists, millennial farmers and snack vendors. These people are expected to inspire and pave the way for rural children to realize their dreams.
In reality, many Flores schoolchildren cannot realize their dreams because of economic problems. Some children have joined the programs only to drop out later, as their families cannot afford the school fees. “It’s like pouring water on barren land. The water will dry up again,” said Nur.
Diving time
As a dentist with a tight schedule, Nur divides her time between her job and social activities, which she calls “a hobby”. She makes use of Saturdays and Sundays, when she is free, for her social activities. If the target location is far and she has to stay there for several days, she requests permission from the management of the Puskesmas (community health center) where she works.
One milestone was when she joined activities on Adonara Island in East Flores regency. At midnight, she was informed that an official would visit the Puskesmas where she was the head. In the early hours, she traveled by boat from Adonara to Larantuka, the capital of East Flores, and from Larantuka by car to Maumere. She tried to get to the Puskesmas as quickly as possible before the official’s scheduled visit.
“I was required to be present there I was the head of the Puskesmas,” she recalled.
Nur admits that she doesn’t have a lot of time to spend with her family. The mother of one has even taken her child along on her activities.
She became involved in social activities when she was a teenager, when she was a Girl Scout during junior high school. In university, Nur frequently volunteered with disaster mitigation and humanitarian services. She even took leave to volunteer, which extended her time at university.
For Nur, doing social activities outside of her profession as a dentist offered her the room to do something for people in need. “I’m becoming human, in the sense that I’m developing myself as a human being. It’s because a human being, in essence, must be of use to others,” she said.
Remigius Nong, a social activist in Sikka regency, described Nur as someone who inspired others to act. Many young people have taken part in her activities, as they see Nur working without any ulterior motives. She has no interest other than to develop of education on Flores Island.
“She is no ordinary dentist. She performs beyond her duties and responsibilities as a dentist. She is also ready to make sacrifices. Many people say she is a crazy dentist,” said Nong, who has worked with her frequently on joint activities. Nur is a dentist who is committed to struggling for the advancement of education in Flores.
