Slamet Riyanto: Providing light despite his darkness<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Blind since he was a teenager, Slamet Riyanto is a respected
\nfigure at the Indra Kesuma Social Home for the Blind in
\nBandarlampung.<\/p>\n
The community there approached him in September 1998 to voice
\ntheir concerns over food rations at the home, which had been cut
\nto two serves a day of rice with the addition of only salted fish
\nor beancurd\/beancake.<\/p>\n
Slamet called together hundreds of blind people to stage a
\nrally demanding better conditions. Traveling by truck and public
\ntransportation one Monday morning in September 1998
\nthey congregated at the regional office of the social affairs
\nministry in the hope of meeting with the office head.<\/p>\n
Their demand was clear: the replacement of Rohili Suryalaga,
\nthe head of the home.<\/p>\n
\"How does he have the heart to cut the rations of people like
\nus\", Slamet shouted.<\/p>\n
Their demand was met and, a few days later, Rohili was
\nrelieved of his post. The diet of people living at the home
\nimproved, with fried eggs and fresh fish added to the menu.<\/p>\n
Slamet's belief that blindness is no obstacle to helping
\npeople in need grew stronger. He was determined to assist the
\nblind community.<\/p>\n
He became involved in 1997 with activists for democracy. They
\nusually got together at the Legal Aid Office in Bandarlampung.
\nAside from holding discussions on the issues of the day, the
\ngroup also pleaded the cause of peasants, laborers and fishermen.<\/p>\n
Slamet, unperturbed by his lack of vision, freely expressed
\nhis opinions in seminars or during hearings with the regional
\nlegislative assembly. His speech is eloquent and succinct,
\nrevealing his above-average intelligence and his sharp memory.<\/p>\n
Slamet said a commonly held view of the blind was that they
\nknew nothing and were deserving of pity.<\/p>\n
\"I want to prove to the public that blind people are
\nknowledgeable and can take part in organizational activities.
\nThey can also be useful to other people and can help develop
\ntheir country,\" said Slamet, now the father of a child.<\/p>\n
Slamet has been active in the Association of Muhammadiyah
\nStudents (IMM), the Indonesian Association of Blind People
\n(Pertuni) Lampung chapter, the Network of the Community Concerned
\nwith Transparency and Regional Autonomy (JMPTOD), Forum for
\nBudget Transparency (FTA) and the Lampung People's Council (DRL).<\/p>\n
A masseur by trade, rallies often took priority for Slamet
\nover the years. He recalls often taking part in JMPTOD and FTA
\nprotests at the building of the Lampung legislative assembly over
\nbudgetary allocations.<\/p>\n
\"I was happy to hear that legislators involved in a Rp 14
\nbillion graft case related to the 2001-2003 Lampung provincial
\nbudget were named as suspects by the provincial prosecutor's
\noffice. Unfortunately, nothing more has been heard about the
\ncase,\" said Slamet, who is married to Ade Yusia.<\/p>\n
Born in Purbolinggo, East Lampung, on July 16, 1973, Slamet
\nhad full sight as a child but was diagnosed with glaucoma at the
\nage of 13.<\/p>\n
Despite his failing sight, Slamet completed senior high school
\nwith good grades and later graduated in communications from the
\nLampung Muhammadiyah University (UML).<\/p>\n
Besides his busy schedule -- earning a living and managing
\nPertuni -- he still finds time to volunteer as an English
\nteacher at Insani Special School for the blind.<\/p>\n
\"Well, sometimes I get paid, sometimes not,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"What matters to me is that other people benefit from my
\nsuccesses in life. If blind people can communicate well,
\nparticularly in English, I will be very pleased,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Slamet has faced many challenges in his task as many blind
\npeople have been denied an education and are too simple and
\npragmatic in their way of thinking.<\/p>\n
\"Let's say someone gives them capital of Rp 200,000, they will
\nrefuse it. However, if they are given Rp 20,000, and are free to
\nspend it, they will take it. I must change this way of thinking,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Along with the other board members of Pertuni, Slamet is now
\nworking on welfare programs for the blind.
\nAmong activities for the blind is a breathing class that teaches
\ntechniques useful in massage. In this case, Pertuni cooperates
\nwith the Cakra Indonesia Breathing Martial Arts School (SCI) in
\nLampung.<\/p>\n
Slamet also wants blind people to learn self-defense skills
\nand, toward this end, Pertuni is teaming up with Merpati Putih
\nSelf Defense Art School.<\/p>\n
He said blind people were often the victims of crime.<\/p>\n
Besides, he added, a blind man who masters self-defense skills
\ncan, for example, cross a busy road without the least possibility
\nof being hit by a car.<\/p>\n
For blind women, Slamet has arranged monthly Koran study
\nsessions, cooperatives for lending and saving, Arabic braille
\ncourses and training on how to make chips from melinjo seeds or
\nGnetum gnemon.<\/p>",
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