A Thread in Mappi Region - Part VI...

Penulis: Ratu Atikah, 01 June 2022
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November 20th 2021

There were us, on the very last day of survey. We decided to had crunchy indomie as breakfast, Pak Heri warned us no to gesek lambung too often, it might cause us pain when we’re old. By the way, straight at 6 o’clock we were going to Kampung Tagaimon Sino, Bamgi District with Three hours duration. LTSHE interfered process still going on, Tagaimon Sino villagers accompany Team Mappi selatan mapping their village and Kampung Tagaimon Karome, those village were separated 50 years ago because the differentiation ethnic, Suku Yaqai lived in Sino and Aoyu lived in Karome, but they shared church and several public facilities except elementary school in the middle of villages. What I’ve got from my quick observation was though both ethnic lived together peacefully, Yaqai’s people believes that most of public facilities were located in their land, I could not get second opinion from Aoyu’s, they just finished farming when we got in Karome so we did not interact much.


Things that I remembered vividly from both villages were, in Karome Kepala Kampung strictly closed the school because Mappi Government had not pay the land rent yet, students moved to Balai Kampung to continue learning activity. In Sino, the people asked us money to bought cigarettes, they believed they deserved it after helping us surveyed their village, it never happened from the rest village we’ve surveyed before.


That was it, Tuesday, November 16th 2021 was our last day surveying villages, we were going home or for now guest house pemda in Kota Kepi, Mappi, 13.20 WIT we proceed to speedboat-85 when it’s started to rain. The trip was closed with heavy rain through our way home Two hours non-stop., Pak Heri passed the teburawa so we could directly walked into guest house.


But there were things for sure that I kept in mind;

  • I found out what I’ve learned from IBEKA was right about pemberdayaan. If you just give something like charity, the majority case won’t last long. You need to live in with them not only one year but your life is needed in order to make changes, slocal’s habit on selling the LTSHE, Freezer, building material they’ve got from government for free because that was what their ancients thought them to. The mindset needs to be trained to long term decision making, not only receiving the most at the time.
  • I, myself still need to upgrade my gratefulness, by then I could be what so called Patriot.
  • Most of the locals thought Team Mappi Selatan were Bupati’s person in charge, because we rode speedboat-85. Need to step down our transportation to mingle with locals.
  • No matter how safe the environment is, always set buddy system even during live in for One year ahead, I am not in my own hometown, I do not have any authorities here, believe no one.
  • Try to fight for locals rights especially electricity as Patroit Energi, at least as much as I could. I’ve lived in comfortable zone for my whole life, it would be great if I could make a better living to others.