Banten's Tanjungjaya village prepares self-reliance
By I. Christianto
The Jakarta Post, in cooperation with Banten West Java Tourism Development Corporation, is presenting weekly issues on the Banten region. This week's issue is on community development.
TANJUNGJAYA VILLAGE, Pandeglang, West Java (JP): The group of junior high school students were looking cheerful in their school uniforms and shoes, returning home to Cikadu Kampong from school on Saturday having just completed their midterm exams.
But only one year ago, these same teenagers spent most of their time at home or in the fields, doing things not normally associated with other children of the same age who are lucky enough to be getting an education.
Tanjungjaya is located on a tip of land in Banten bordering the Sunda Strait. It takes about four hours by car from the country's capital of Jakarta to get there.
Though it is not really far in terms of distance, there is no use in comparing the educational opportunities between the two places. Poor supporting infrastructure and inadequate human resources have continuously hampered the process of development in this neighborhood.
Educational development
The absence of potential human resources has contributed to poor education facilities. Cikadu has only two elementary schools. And until the current education year, it did not have a junior high school.
Residential areas are scattered and remote. This has made most parents reluctant to send their children to school because of the distances needed to be traveled to get to school. Students who wanted to continue their schooling after elementary level had to go to other areas, forcing them to walk for hours.
In short, compared to other regions in West Java, the area lags far behind in providing adequate education and training facilities for its residents.
Without proper education and other skill-related know-how, people here will not be able to keep pace with the country's rapid development. They will only be able to witness development activities occurring around them, without being able to get involved.
Private sector help
Cikadu is just one example of the country's underdeveloped kampongs, whose populations are categorized as prewelfare. While the government and local authorities have a lot of duties to do in these areas, they also rely on other parties like social organizations and the private sector to help with development plans, accommodate locals' wishes, improve standards of living and help maintain their valuable natural resources.
The junior high school in Tanjungjaya is one example of what the private sector can do to support local people. The school was established by the South Bantenese Developing Foundation, which is related to a private firm developing Tanjung Lesung, a 1,500- hectare tourist resort.
In addition to an education program, the foundation has also helped the local people to improve living conditions by providing, among other things, access to electricity and clean water.
Banten was the center of a trading empire in the 1600s. Early merchants from Europe and the Middle East were familiar with this area as the traditional nautical gateway to Southeast Asia and beyond.
Located on the western tip of Java, Banten was the hub of a commercial empire during the from 16th century to 19th century.
Currently, Banten is home to a wide range of tourist attractions as well as huge factories and industries.
Access for tourists to get into the area has been very easy since the operation of the Jakarta-Merak toll road, which includes a 26-kilometer toll road linking Jakarta and Tangerang, a four-kilometer Ciujung toll road and a 8.4-kilometer Serang toll road. This infrastructure totals more than 100 kilometers in addition to common roads in the area.
There have been gloomy stories from many parts of Indonesia lately, such as Aceh, Irian Jaya, Riau and other resource-rich provinces, which have been exploited for a long time for the sake of the central government, investors and the rich.
External aid
To join in the era of industrialization and globalization, Banten needs to revitalize its past achievements or it will continue to be excluded from development.
The role of external parties helping local communities is crucial as they are not aware yet of what is happening to their environment and living conditions.
To one extent, people in Banten are generally open to broad- minded leaders, accepting cultural and religious differences.
The operation of large-scale plants and the existing tourism industry in the area shows that the locals can accommodate newcomers, including numerous expatriates.
Banten's history shows it was a melting pot of various ethnic groups, including the indigenous Sundanese, the Javanese, the seafaring Bugis from South Sulawesi, the Madurese and Chinese.
According to the late archaeology professor Kuntjaraningrat, Banten was once an advanced royal territory with highly cultured people. Aid, therefore, will be perceived with an open hand.