Staff of Public Relations of IPB Won the 3rd Winner of Baznas Literacy Awards 2017

Many widows and orphans in Cikarawang Village, Dramaga Subdistrict, Bogor District lived in the apprehensive condition. Both were in terms of the education and the economics. Usually, the community around provided the compensation in the form of money. However, it turned out that the money aid was only the short solution. If the orphans were smart and accomplished, to get the education in the higher level would be easier with the scholarship. 

This condition encouraged one of the staff of Legal Bureau, Promotion and Public Relations (Bureau of HPH) of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Siti Zulaedah, S.TP to establish Arrohman Foundation. The foundation was committed to prosper and educate the orphans and the dhuafa in Cikarawang Village. Her educational program titled “Mahasiswa IPB Mengajar 2.0 / Students of IPB Teaching 2.0” was managed to deliver her achievement as the 3rd Winner of Baznas Literacy Awards 2017.

“The existing condition is orphan plus less educated. Then, how they can achieve, so that it is easy to get the scholarship. Seeing that, I and some friends in IPB initiate the free education (informal) for the orphans,” she said.

There were approximately 20 orphans and dhuafa who since 2014 studying in the Arrohman Foundation. Beyond that, there were some other children who were not orphans who also came, approximately 15 children. The orphans came from different levels of the classs. From the classes of one to sixth of SD.

“The average orphans and dhuafa who come can not read Al-Quran. Even there is an orphan of the class of 4 SD just starting to read the Iqro volume 1. Even more concerning, from the academic side, these children are also classified as the underachievers,” added this alumni of IPB.

 “Mahasiswa IPB Mengajar 2.0 / Students of IPB Teaching 2.0” Program was the program to educate the orphans outside the school in collaboration with the students of IPB. The location of the foundation adjacent to IPB and her profession working in the Public Relations of IPB made it easier to find the volunteers from the students.

From this program, the children who came to the foundation would get the science of the religion and the science of the world. In addition to learning to read Al-Quran, the children also got other knowledge like the story of the companions of Rasulullah SAW and Hadist Nabi. The teachers who taught were one of the ustadzah in Dusun Cangkrang and the ustad Waladan Mardija, one of the employees in IPB.

For the science of the logic, the children got it from the students of IPB who were willing to become the volunteers. The subjects were English, Mathematics and Arabic. The students involved were mostly the students of Bidikmisi scholarship recipients. Other than that, there were also the outstanding students at the national and international levels who were involved in the program, such as Ikrom Mustofa, the National Achievement Student ranked 2nd; Oki Setiawan (Hafidz 10 Juz); Teguh Wahyu Permana (Duta Maritim of RI); and Vivi Safitri (Champion of MTQ of IPB) and others.

“These teachers provide their knowledge without fees from the foundation. And the foundation also does not much demand, the most important is that there is the motivation that grows in the hearts of the children to dare to have a dream which results from face to face with Bidikmisi students,” she explained.

According to her, the expectation of the children to pursue the higher education began to emerge. Especially when listening to the stories of the students who became volunteers. They were similar socioeconomic conditions (orphan and less able), but if they could go to university, it could be the motivator for the children that if they did well, they could be like the students.

Running this program was not without the obstacles. The biggest problems in running the program were the transportation and the regeneration of the teachers. The distance between the location and IPB was very close, but the public transport path to the location was cut off  in the middle.

“If you ride the public transportation, the distance becomes so far and it is usually jammed. Other than that, the student schedule usually changes, every semester changes. So I have to establish the wider network to find volunteers,” she said.(zul)