Banten's Tanjungjaya village prepares self-reliance<\/p>\n
By I. Christianto<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, in cooperation with Banten West Java Tourism
\nDevelopment Corporation, is presenting weekly issues on the
\nBanten region. This week's issue is on community development.<\/p>\n
TANJUNGJAYA VILLAGE, Pandeglang, West Java (JP): The group of
\njunior high school students were looking cheerful in their school
\nuniforms and shoes, returning home to Cikadu Kampong from school
\non Saturday having just completed their midterm exams.<\/p>\n
But only one year ago, these same teenagers spent most of
\ntheir time at home or in the fields, doing things not normally
\nassociated with other children of the same age who are lucky
\nenough to be getting an education.<\/p>\n
Tanjungjaya is located on a tip of land in Banten bordering
\nthe Sunda Strait. It takes about four hours by car from the
\ncountry's capital of Jakarta to get there.<\/p>\n
Though it is not really far in terms of distance, there is no
\nuse in comparing the educational opportunities between the two
\nplaces. Poor supporting infrastructure and inadequate human
\nresources have continuously hampered the process of development
\nin this neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Educational development<\/p>\n
The absence of potential human resources has contributed to
\npoor education facilities. Cikadu has only two elementary
\nschools. And until the current education year, it did not have a
\njunior high school.<\/p>\n
Residential areas are scattered and remote. This has made most
\nparents reluctant to send their children to school because of the
\ndistances needed to be traveled to get to school. Students who
\nwanted to continue their schooling after elementary level had to
\ngo to other areas, forcing them to walk for hours.<\/p>\n
In short, compared to other regions in West Java, the area
\nlags far behind in providing adequate education and training
\nfacilities for its residents.<\/p>\n
Without proper education and other skill-related know-how,
\npeople here will not be able to keep pace with the country's
\nrapid development. They will only be able to witness development
\nactivities occurring around them, without being able to get
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
Private sector help<\/p>\n
Cikadu is just one example of the country's underdeveloped
\nkampongs, whose populations are categorized as prewelfare. While
\nthe government and local authorities have a lot of duties to do
\nin these areas, they also rely on other parties like social
\norganizations and the private sector to help with development
\nplans, accommodate locals' wishes, improve standards of living
\nand help maintain their valuable natural resources.<\/p>\n
The junior high school in Tanjungjaya is one example of what
\nthe private sector can do to support local people. The school was
\nestablished by the South Bantenese Developing Foundation, which
\nis related to a private firm developing Tanjung Lesung, a 1,500-
\nhectare tourist resort.<\/p>\n
In addition to an education program, the foundation has also
\nhelped the local people to improve living conditions by
\nproviding, among other things, access to electricity and clean
\nwater.<\/p>\n
Banten was the center of a trading empire in the 1600s. Early
\nmerchants from Europe and the Middle East were familiar with this
\narea as the traditional nautical gateway to Southeast Asia and
\nbeyond.<\/p>\n
Located on the western tip of Java, Banten was the hub of a
\ncommercial empire during the from 16th century to 19th century.<\/p>\n
Currently, Banten is home to a wide range of tourist
\nattractions as well as huge factories and industries.<\/p>\n
Access for tourists to get into the area has been very easy
\nsince the operation of the Jakarta-Merak toll road, which
\nincludes a 26-kilometer toll road linking Jakarta and Tangerang,
\na four-kilometer Ciujung toll road and a 8.4-kilometer Serang
\ntoll road. This infrastructure totals more than 100 kilometers in
\naddition to common roads in the area.<\/p>\n
There have been gloomy stories from many parts of Indonesia
\nlately, such as Aceh, Irian Jaya, Riau and other resource-rich
\nprovinces, which have been exploited for a long time for the sake
\nof the central government, investors and the rich.<\/p>\n
External aid<\/p>\n
To join in the era of industrialization and globalization,
\nBanten needs to revitalize its past achievements or it will
\ncontinue to be excluded from development.<\/p>\n
The role of external parties helping local communities is
\ncrucial as they are not aware yet of what is happening to their
\nenvironment and living conditions.<\/p>\n
To one extent, people in Banten are generally open to broad-
\nminded leaders, accepting cultural and religious differences.<\/p>\n
The operation of large-scale plants and the existing tourism
\nindustry in the area shows that the locals can accommodate
\nnewcomers, including numerous expatriates.<\/p>\n
Banten's history shows it was a melting pot of various ethnic
\ngroups, including the indigenous Sundanese, the Javanese, the
\nseafaring Bugis from South Sulawesi, the Madurese and Chinese.<\/p>\n
According to the late archaeology professor Kuntjaraningrat,
\nBanten was once an advanced royal territory with highly cultured
\npeople. Aid, therefore, will be perceived with an open hand.<\/p>",
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