AYVP 2017 Experience

As starter, I would like to express my gratitude because I can be selected in this meaningful program. I would like to tell you this experience and hopefully become a memory that carved forever in this digital form for me, for my family, and hopefully for my future family.

I am so proud to be representative of Indonesia in this ASEAN forum. I am absolutely super excited. Especially because the DRR topic is so sexy and I need to learn more about it. I have been working on climate change and environmental protection at least in the last four years. At the same time I took mining engineering as my undergraduate study as well. I believe AYVP is the intersection of both of them. In mining, I learn landslide and other natural events such as rainfall, and the environmental protection is very close to prevention of disaster. I believe god place me here with one reason, to help people and save them from disaster.

First Week, is new chapter in my live. For one more time, I got the chance to connect with 49+ young leaders of ASEAN. The first meeting was the impression. Everything went so loudly, people wanted to know one another. In the break time, we shared experience, knowledge, and even culture. The first day really burned my spirit to lift ASEAN not only in term of disaster, but also, I was expecting, we as young leader will be able to work collaboratively to make ASEAN as a great region. We are on the way to become the fourth largest GDP, and we have a young population that make me believe that we have a chance to be great nations together. Hand in hand as one when we sing ASEAN song really inspire me that we have to work together. It is the first time I sang that song, and it stuck in my mind until now. First week was full of classroom session, except one field trip when we learned about Lembang fault. All speaker is great, they were expert in their field, and I was so proud to myself that can learn from them. I wish I can be expert like them in the future. Some session that I love the most is project management because I want to run my own project in near future, and religious belief and disaster. Here, I realize that ASEAN is so rich, and there are a lot of differences. However, I can say, we are very close. A lot of similarities as well, I almost do not have any difficulties when mingle to ASEAN people. I can compare it when I work in international NGO, where I work closely to “white men”, hahaha. The second is Bandung city tour, to be honest, although this is the third time for me to visit Bandung, but that was my first experience to walk on Alun-alun, Braga street, Bosscha observatory, Lembang, KAA museum, geology museum, and tower of great masjid of Bandung. Ohh, I wish I have one full day off, so I can explore more.

Opening Ceremony

Group Picture with Indonesia Team. They perform Saman Dance

Group Photo Before We Depart From Hotel

Lao Team in Meseum KAA Bandung

Second Week, we are separated into two big groups - Lembang and Cigadung. They are our place for community service. Here is the time we implement what we learn in classroom. Facing the real community is not easy as theory. It is so dynamic. I got cigadung, which I see more urban than in Lembang. I work with my lovely Laos team and neighboring Indonesia and Singapore. The beginning of the week, we start a new journey to sightseeing the area. You know, the people greet us very warmly. They were excited to see us that come from 10 countries. Many times, I have to enjoy double lunch and double dinner. I visited the agriculture museum as well. To see the activity of Lembang and Cigadung team, I am so inspired that every hard work will produce a sweat result. Back to the activity, our main job is to identify the potency of hazard in this area. This urban village had not get any disaster preparedness education. Totally virgin, and we start totally from zero. As we went around, we visit house by house. I accompanied my friend Poline from Cambodia and Wichuta from Thailand as camera woman (she want me to call that way, because she said, I am not man), to visit the people’s house. There were 13 houses in total, Here I could understand, why direct interview is the best approach. This interview at least gave us an understanding about the situation of the place. We went to school as well to conduct the drill. I was so touched to see children to learn about disaster evacuation. They are our future and we have to protect them. I just really able to feel just how important to save the people. I was so touched by the kindness of teacher as well. People here are just so kind to us.

Discussion with Cigadung RW 14 Team

Before Heading to BMKG Office Lembang

Third week, this is the victory started. After understanding the condition of the village, we start to take a deep action. All this hard work is dedicated to Cigadung people. We start to involve all stakeholders. We learn from coordination, preparation, until technical issue. Time table simulation was so fun. It is platform when we, all stakeholders, coordinate to save the people. This communication effort turn into reality as we conduct the real simulation. We make an evacuation road map, video, stick evacuation board sign, attending the meeting with local government  and stakeholders. This effort runs easily because we are supported by RW and Kelurahan as well as Karang taruna and students from UPI. I am so glad because Pak Rano from BPPD guide us very well. We learn how to evacuate injured people and we learn the job description of important sectors in disaster management. Today is the last day of our community service in Cigadung. To experience the drill experience is something really new for me. And even though it is tiring, but I learn so much things. And the warmness of the guest house owner should never I forget. The granny in the house tore when we are about to leave. She say, “Please come back again. I will miss you so much”. Many of us then cry as well.

This is maybe just rehearsal, but people are so cooperative and act seriously. I am so proud to people in Cigadung and all the effort of all stakeholders and especially secretariat and ITB. Thank you for this meaningful journey. Please see the video here.

Painting Wall Marking Our Existence Here. Haha

Introducing my Lovely Lao Team

Fourth Week, I can say the most fun of AYVP is in the fourth week. Because in this week we were retreated from the community and worked together as group again enable us to mingle and bond. Here was the week of evaluation where we had to submit the full report of activity, complete the the group video, post program activity presentation, practice for group cultural performance as well as sing together ASEAN song. You know a lot of funny things happening here created joy among us. In this week we had two times off from roll call so we can hang out together and shared some stories, the moment I always miss in entire of my life, maybe. I am so glad to learn dance of Bali and Aceh. I got the chance to sing the Saman dance. I did not know completely the meaning of song until Pocut, AYVP participant from Aceh, try to translate it for me. I am touched with the meaning of the song and it stuck in my mind even until now, three days after closing day of AYVP. During the closing ceremony, I got an opportunity to deliver a speech representing male participants. This is my first time to deliver speech, trust me. Thank god, now I am falling in love to speak publicly. Closing ceremony was my broken heart moment, the day that I had to say good bye to other participants. I did not cry at the time, but when I was alone, God, I cried so hard like I created a flood. Sounds too over huh? Trust me, this is happening. I just never feel such a very strong ASEAN friendship like this.

Lao Team Performance

Introducing Indonesian Team

I am glad to deliver this speech

I want to say terima kasih banyak to all stakeholders of this event. AYVP is truly one-of-a-kind leadership program. We are always chasing sleep, but with the amount of knowledge we have now gained,  just how fortunate we are to be here. Here is a program that teaches us all we need to know to be a proactive ASEAN youth leader; we learned about multicultural communication, volunteerism, public speaking, project management, fundraising, and even culture and languages.

More importantly, the learning program in AYVP is designed to create leader that ready to face the dynamic challenges. We learn from expert in the classroom and also we conduct various program through student community service in Lembang and Cigadung. We were able to conduct the first evacuation drill for the community. We believe that it is very important as we know that both this region are very prone to natural disaster. This hands-on experience will be continued and sharpen as we back to home country to lead project. Helping people and saving them from disaster is a priceless gift that God has sent to me. And through AYVP, we can make a difference and contribute to the society. After the event, I am lucky to receive grants to implement my social activity in my community. Such a perfect program, you learn first, then implement it back home.

Many thanks

Zulkhaidir Purwanto