Powerful Widows Through “Geng Perjaka” Program
We must be proud that we are born and live in Indonesia, a country with a rich and wide variety of ethnic origin, religion, language, race, ethnicity, class, culture, and who knows what else. Of course, this diversity has positive and negative implications. Negative implications arise when diversity meant as a threat, not a challenge. Indonesia is a hugely diverse nation that is made up of over 17,500 islands which are home to over 300 ethnic groups. It is stated that people in Indonesia will define themselves according to their ethnic group, family, and place of birth. Like in most other country, in Indonesia the family is the principal institution for the socialization of children. Members of the immediate family may include spouses, parents, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. It is a generally accepted 'fact' all over the world that the man, the father, is the head of the family unit. Losing a life partner at any age is heartbreaking. For those who are widowed while still young, it is simply devastating. People don’t want to ruin our day or anything, but let’s discuss something really sad, because sometimes life stuff is sad. Can we imagine how awful it is to lose a parent, especially a father or the husband as the head of the family. This is what happens in Kampung Cangkrang, Cikarawang Village, Kab. Bogor. As a working mother, especially one who has the good fortune to be able to balance her home and work, enjoys the stimulation that a job or career provides. But for less fortunate, the total income she earns will be less than before.
With reference to their low economic status and as single parents, a group of students of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), a group of IPB students implement the Program Kreatifitas Mahasiswa Pengabdian Masyarakat (PKM-M Student Creativity Program for Community Development). The group consists of Gita Andi Mauliani, Elin Marlina, Ariqoh Khairunnisa, Andi Mulyadi, and Ihsan Fahmi Amrullah.
The fostering community program will be targeted to a group of widows who have lower income to make ends meet. The program the group planned is called Gang Pelopor Janda Merdeka (“Geng Perjaka”) adopted from the local wisdom sharia-based economy concept to answer the above problems. During which, twenty women had confirmed to join as members of the “Geng Perjaka” from Kampung Cangkrang.
Started by exploring the local community potential interests, the team led by Gita Andi Mauliani, the group invited the social participation the community by demonstrating the creative cooking competition. Through these cooking competition, the found out the women potential ability by producing commerciable snacks such as bakpia yam, cake rocking, onde-onde, and so on. The information they got then was expanded to the sharia economy training materials for members of the Gang Perjaka. The coaching program through the training course is necessary to manage the potential of members of the “Gang Perjakan”
Knowing the their cooking potential then the group organized step by step training courses, from sharia finance to packaging process of their products. The concept of applied sharia finance is implemented directly to introduce the Islamic economic system to members of the Gang Perjaka. Meanwhile, to have added-value of their products, good packaging techniques are required. Accordingly, the group organized training course on packaging techniques. Of course, as marketing is also important for selling their products, then training on marketing had also been implemented by PKM-M “Geng Perjaka” team.
Currently the women produce the customized products ordered. Due to the facts that some members are working, therefore the training program had been carried out on weekends only. But in the future by the establishment of organization structure and regenerating of the members, the “Geng Perjaka” will be capable to mobilize the member's economy.
The existence of PKM-M “Geng Perjaka” is one of the community development programs which will inspire other communities in other places. The ward as a social community should not be ignored, as this is a powerful engine to help member of the community to be independence, to accelerate the economic development of a region. " Living in a competitive society is a good thing because it's entertaining, but we have to compete with each other in performing good deeds, if not us who will?" Andi said. (Wied)
