JAKARTA — At the Volunesia Bootcamp 2022 event on Saturday (September 17, 2022), Abdus Salam presented a project titled “Rumah Gadang” of the Gonjong Limo type. Under the slogan “Preserving Rumah Gadang Through Paper Waste Collection,” one of the students from SMKN 26 Jakarta’s Computer Networking Department explained that the project was inspired by three main issues. These include:
- Paper waste. In 1998, paper waste reached 7 million tons per year and is expected to continue increasing if population activities and paper waste accumulation grow.
- Shifting local culture. In this era, the younger generation is more interested in foreign cultures than local ones.
- Low interest in local culture among teenagers, at 52.09%.
“The idea for ‘Rumah Gadang’ came from one of our team members who is from Minang. The concept behind ‘Rumah Gadang’ is that we prepare and build ‘Rumah Gadang’, then polish and paint it to make it attractive,” said Abdus.
“The target audience for the ‘Rumah Gadang’ project is children. We want them to be interested in local culture in Indonesia. They can also learn about the history of the ‘Rumah Gadang.’ Its uniqueness lies in reintroducing the ‘Rumah Gadang’ to people. Currently, the ‘Rumah Gadang’ project has been implemented at the Early Learning Centre (ELC) in Cakung Subdistrict, Ujung Menteng Village, East Jakarta,” he explained.
Yes, in order to cultivate young entrepreneurs with a philanthropic spirit, Maya Nuraini, Senior Officer of Community & Volunteerism at Dompet Dhuafa, explained that Dompet Dhuafa Volunteer (DDV) initiated the Volunesia Bootcamp 2022. Consisting of a series of activities, Volunesia Bootcamp 2022 has been running since March 2022 for DDV members throughout Indonesia.
Over the past six months, 22 social projects from various regions have been submitted, with 11 projects selected from nine provinces across Indonesia. The finalists presented their best ideas to the Dompet Dhuafa team at the Volunesia 2022 Spectacular on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at the Philanthropy Building in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
“Volunesia is a combination of the words ‘volunteer’ and ‘amnesia.’ It means that Dompet Dhuafa reminds volunteers that while they strive to change themselves, they are also changing the world,” explained Maya.
In the future, Abdus and his friends plan to market and sell the ‘Rumah Gadang’ product on social media and online marketplaces. Abdus and his friends also plan to create not only ‘Rumah Gadang’ but also other traditional houses found in Indonesia. He hopes that through the ‘Rumah Gadang’ project, the amount of paper waste will begin to decrease, cultures will not be displaced, and teenagers will be able and motivated to preserve their own cultures in their respective regions.
“Our local culture is our heritage. It must not be abandoned,” he emphasized.
Read also: https://www.dompetdhuafa.org/volunesia-bootcamp-2022-lahirkan-filantropreneur-muda/
On that occasion, Abdus also admitted that his spirit was reborn at Volunesia Bootcamp. “I feel fit and reborn. I want to become a volunteer. Volunesia DDV provides a supportive environment for the community. I’ve gained new motivation, new knowledge, and shared experiences with new friends. I hope the Volunesia Bootcamp will be held again, and if possible, I’d like to join the organizing committee or contribute in any way to be there,” Abdus concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa / Irma / Dhika Prabowo)