Visiting Pelempea village could be one of the trips I will never forget. Being one of the villages included in Pipikoro sub-district, Sigi district, Central Sulawesi province, I had to travel for more than five hours from Palu city. The steep roads, rocks, even ravines on the right and left, made me finally sing religious songs throughout the journey to relieve my fear.
The tiring and long journey paid off when I arrived and saw how cool the air was, the shady trees of the surrounding forest, and the blue sky of Pelempea village which was still very beautiful. Moreover, it was served with several glasses of local liquor, saguer. In my heart I said; a journey worth it.
This is where I met James, a 22-year-old young man with visual sensory disabilities. We started to get to know each other, share stories and listen to James share his feelings when he became an Estungkara cadre. One of the first programs that James participated in was the National Women's Conference in Palu, last May. In that meeting, James had the opportunity to learn many new things from the activity and was trusted to become an Estungkara cadre by friends from the Karsa Institute.
“The desire to learn together and prove that physical limitations are not a barrier to contributing. I believe that everyone has the same potential to learn and teach, regardless of background. By becoming a cadre, I learned a lot about gender equality and the rights of people with disabilities (GEDSI). I am also more courageous in spreading this awareness to friends and the community in the village.”
Since becoming an Estungkara cadre, James has been actively recording the number of people with disabilities in the village and actively attending various meetings. James said that in Pelempea village there are around fifteen people with disabilities, either caused by congenital factors or external factors such as excessive use of drugs. James even has a cousin who has suffered from physical disabilities since birth. His hands are weak and his legs cannot walk.
That's what made James feel that not only the elderly (elderly) need special attention, but also people with disabilities, both physical and mental. Efforts to fulfill the needs of people with disabilities, such as wheelchairs to facilitate mobility, the Village Head, Village Consultative Body (BPD), and other village officials took the initiative for James to propose concrete solutions and what is needed for people with disabilities.
Unfortunately, negative stigmas against people with disabilities are still often found. Society often looks down on friends with disabilities and calls them with negative names such as “buro” or “tokejo”. This is one of the things that James wants to change as an Estungkara cadre. “I reprimand anyone who uses such inappropriate names, emphasizing that we are also human beings who have the same rights and opportunities. I also actively provide education to elderly groups about the importance of equality and recognition of our abilities.”
Although health services are adequate, other basic services such as mobility access are still minimal. Socialization to people with disabilities is considered important to strengthen the understanding that they have the same rights as other citizens, James said again.
From the good story I got from James, it made me realize that disabilities are not an obstacle. James, a person with visual sensory disabilities since birth, before joining Estungkara, often felt embarrassed and rarely left the house. The doctor once advised James to wear glasses, but James refused because it was embarrassing for him.
Often being aggressive and emotional ups and downs, made James' parents exhausted in dealing with him. I got this statement from James' parents who were also touched by the changes their son had experienced now. However, after becoming a cadre, his confidence increased rapidly. He began to actively participate in village activities and showed that he was also able to contribute.
James' mother also said that James has very limited vision, especially during the day. James' father and mother had wanted to take him to have eye surgery, but James refused because he was afraid of losing his sight completely. Now, with the support of the Estungkara program, James is not only more confident but has also started to help his parents as much as he can.
My conversation with James ended with James' statement that made me a little bit slapped. James said that he hopes that in the future there will be more cadres who come from people with disabilities. Because when talking about what the needs and rights of people with disabilities are, of course those who know better are people with disabilities themselves. "And of course our rights will be better accommodated."
What James experienced and how his friends at the Karsa Institute accompanied him, reminded me of one of my favorite books; Education of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. The book discusses the need for education for the oppressed. Freire explains the importance of education for the oppressed because he tries to restore the function of education as a tool to free humans from all forms of oppression and oppression.
True knowledge requires continuous learning and discovery. In this process, teachers and students simultaneously become students and teachers. They should have the opportunity to be recipients and recorders. In the general concept of education, knowledge is considered a gift given by those who feel knowledgeable to those who are considered ignorant. Considering others to be truly ignorant is a hallmark of the ideology of oppression.
Teachers learn from students, and students learn from teachers. Teachers act as fellow students who help to awaken students' critical thinking. In this way, both parties develop each other's ability to understand themselves and the world critically. Both James and Karsa Institute slowly show that, mentoring work, awareness work, and work to provide a safe space for everyone starts from doing justice in the mind, let alone in action. Hats off to Kawan James and Karsa Institute.
