I had mine, a month a go.
So here is a journal that I have to wrote to my dosen pembimbing lapangan (DPL) about the whole experience. Since it is very long, I will cut it into 3 segments. Some of the names in the journal I've change to prevent any discrimination of the desa or people in it. I hope it helps to gain some insight for those going to KKN, or for reading pleasure to others.
Re-discover HIV/AIDS, Re-discover Me
By
Nor Aisyah Abdullah
Desa what?
Desa
K is located at the end of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), Indonesia.
It is near the perbatasan of Jawa Tengah. Put your one foot at DIY, and put
another in Jawa Tengah, you can say you are in 2 places at one time.
Well, that’s
how I see how near we were at Jawa Tengah. I wasn’t impressed initially.
Ever since
the announcement of the date of Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) changed a week
earlier, my hati (as the Malaysians
always said it) sudah tawar for KKN.
My big family came that week, a total of 28 of them, and I am supposed to be
their host.
“Every time like this! Cannot fix date one la UGM. Simply change
date! Five years, and still like this! Shit la!”, I cursed my breath out to UGM
in my most Mangalish (Malaysian English) manner.
But,as I
looked back. God really eased my way out. Out of the 5 days my family were
here, only 1 day I can’t be with them. That,I’m really thankful.
So our topic
is about HIV/AIDS. A ‘new
disease’ that, for over 30 years, caused millions to be infected, millions to death.
A topic, I did not choose in my KKN.
We were in charge
of Desa K. A desa in Kecamatan W known to have a lot of TKI/TKW
(Tenaga Kerja Indonesia/Tenaga Kerja Wanita).
Truthfully I
was a bit scared.
“Aduh, nanti
mesti kena provoke pasal isu Malaysia Indonesia. Dah la nak dekat pilihan raya
nih”, I told to myself.
But, again, I
was proved wrong.
For all the 2
months I was there, the kampung people were super nice to me. Maybe it is a
Javanese thing. You know, depan-depan
senyum tapi di belakang berkata-kata. Who knows. But I think sincerely,
that they did not think that way. Husnu zhon (to think good of others) I shall.
It seems that
being a migrant worker is a trend in Desa K. A bidan we knew once said
to me, “Anak-anak lepasan SMA ini sudah tahu, mau cepat dapat uang itu jadi
TKI/TKW”.
Very few of
them will further their studies. Having your own money is too much of a temptation.
Once,
Malaysia and Arab Saudi was the destination to go. But now, most people will go
to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Big salary and 1 day holiday per week was too good of
an offer. But I think, South Korea will be a trend soon. With all the fuss with
K-pop and
Korean dramas, if I were them, I would want to go to Korea too. Min-Ho
opppaaa~!
So those who
went, 90% as the bidan said it, are
women. Young and old, married or not married.
When they
came back home, you can identify their country’s working place from their
appearance. Those who work in Saudi, will wear henna on their nails, wore wrong
robes and have a tendency to speak in Arabic. Those who work in Taiwan or Hong
Kong will dyed their hair and will wear sexy clothes. This is even obvious
during kondangan (wedding reception), as they will grouped together.
An ibu I
talked (we called her Ibu Laundry), who is an ex-migrant worker, told me she
went to Saudi to improve her life condition. She went 3 times, in a span of 10
years. Each time with a different mission. First, to build a house and she did build a house. Second is
because her money finished. And third, to get his son into a university - her
son is now a first year economy student in UGM.
She also told
me an important fact. She does not recommend young pretty girls to go to Saudi.
An easy catch she said. There are a lot of Indonesians who became mistress to
the Saudi man. A lot of uninformed rape cases too. She said this with her head
lowered and her voice as soft as the wind. As I bend my head listening
carefully to what she says, I thought I am a secret agent who was given an
important secret information! Officer 12300 from Bureau of HIV/AIDs Secret
Intelligence report for dutie!
Like ibu
laundry, many migrant workers have to leave their husbands and kids behind.
Some husbands do not work. They became stayed home dad. When we went to
Pendidikan Anak Usaha Dini (PAUD), we saw 3 fathers eagerly waiting for their
children. It was kinda cute really. I’m accustomed to see mothers fussed about
their children, but dads, rarely.
Apparently for every kondangan, there seems to be an
unspoken gathering of these dads. The bidan said, they usually will meet up in
the evening, after the kondangan finish, to talk and smoke. Sometimes this
gathering can reached up to 100 people.
The bidan
also confessed some of this dad, do “jajan” to Pasar Kembang.
..to be continued..
