SAMARINDA, EAST KALIMANTAN — Three members of the Dompet Dhuafa Volunteer (DDV) East Kalimantan Chapter participated as the DDV Squad in an essay competition titled “International Youth Summit” held on November 9–10, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The essay submitted by the DDV Squad team was titled “Snakehead Fish and Seaweed Cookies: Sustainable Solutions for Stunting Prevention and Addressing the Climate Crisis Toward a Net-Zero Emission Indonesia.”
Muhammad Ramadhan Nur stated that the essay focuses on controlling stunting in children, which has a high prevalence, particularly in the southern part of Bontang City, East Kalimantan.
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By conducting international literature research, Ramadhan and the DDV Squad team developed the idea of making cookies made from snakehead fish and seaweed. These two ingredients were chosen because they have beneficial properties for preventing stunting.
“We searched the international literature and found that snakehead fish and seaweed are good for stunting. So, we tried to make cookies with those ingredients. It turns out that the ingredients are good and suitable for stunting,” said Ramadhan.
The International Youth Summit is an international essay competition participated in by teams from three countries, namely Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. This competition is intended to be a strategic platform for young people to convey innovative, solution-oriented, and sustainable ideas on global issues in the fields of environment, health, social, technology, and development.
“We are not just about fostering kindness through actions, but we can also cultivate kindness through ideas that benefit many people,” declared Muhammad Ramadhan Nur, a volunteer with Dompet Dhuafa Volunteer (DDV) Chapter East Kalimantan.
The name DDV Squad originated from Ramadhan’s commitment alongside his two friends, who are also members of the DDV Chapter in East Kalimantan—Nur Halimah and Eka Chayani—to always represent DDV in various competitions they participate in.
“So we joined together as a team and use the name DDV Squad. That’s because DDV is one of our organizations, and we’re proud to carry the DDV name in every competition we participate in,” said Muhammad Ramadhan Nur, one of the DDV volunteers from the East Kalimantan chapter who is not only active in community service but also in various academic competitions under the name “DDV Squad.”
Ramadhan’s journey as part of DDV East Kalimantan began in 2023. Initially, he admitted that he was interested in joining DDV after seeing his friend, who is a DDV member, participating in an activity with children.
Since joining DDV, Ramadhan has gained many enjoyable experiences. His passion for actively participating in acts of kindness continues alongside the DDV team, who share the same enthusiasm for bringing kindness to life.
Despite their busy schedules, the enthusiasm shown by the DDV Kalimantan Timur team motivates Ramadhan to remain committed to every act of kindness.
“I am happy when I see the children enjoying our weekly program, which involves playing with them. The program includes coloring activities, games, and learning. There, I see the volunteer friends also enjoying themselves and willing to spare their time amidst their busy work schedules without being paid. This also reminds me to always be ready to spread kindness amidst my own busy schedule,” said Ramadhan.
Furthermore, Ramadhan stated that the slogan “One Day, One Act of Kindness” in every DDV initiative has inspired him to cultivate kindness every day. This was evident when Ramadhan joined the DDV Squad team in an international competition. According to him, cultivating kindness is not only about actions but also about ideas that can benefit many people.
Ramadhan hopes that this year will once again inspire him to create more, and that all parties, including the government and other institutions, can collaborate in various acts of kindness alongside DDV East Kalimantan. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Shinta Fitrotun Nihayah, DDV
Editor: Dhika