Disabled students experience equality

By Christine Erskine Smith

JAKARTA (JP): Eva was sitting in the cooking class at her vocational training school. At the mention of the musical performance she was preparing for, her young face lit into a delightful smile. "I'm so excited," she said. "I'm looking forward to playing the angklung (bamboo musical instrument) and meeting the movie stars on Sunday."

Eva and 17 of her friends had been practicing for a special musical performance to be held at Movenpick Marche restaurant in South Jakarta as part of the restaurant's second anniversary. Indonesia's top entertainers from the movie, theater and music world would be there. A star studded guest list indeed, including such names as Sylvana Herman, Donny Damara, Krisna Mukti, Donni Kusuma and Sonny Tulung.

And the students were to give the recital. They were to play for the country's professionals.

What was so special about this? Not much -- until one realized that all 18 performers are mentally disabled.

The restaurant's marketing director, Lea Joan, set the wheels in motion for the special event. "The staff decided they would like to do something different for the anniversary, so we devised a program that would raise awareness of the plight of disadvantaged people in our community."

Sunday, Aug. 8, marked the beginning of a three-month campaign by the restaurant to offer financial and practical assistance to an institute that is in need of help.

Students from Yayasan Wahana Bina Karya Penyandang Cacat (Institute of Vocational Training for Disabled People) were selected by the restaurant as the beneficiaries of this campaign.

The chairwoman of the institute's board of directors, Mieke Soegeng, was delighted. "Our goals are to build confidence among the students so they may take their place in the community; to provide a learning environment that fosters integration, rehabilitation, and equal opportunity."

An opportunity to perform with the celebrities shows the students that they do have a place in the community.

The school is a prevocational institute, with a student population of 42 physically and mentally disabled students, assisted by 22 teaching and administration staff. Students who come must have completed their junior high school special education curriculum, and be above 16 years of age.

The three-year program is tiered, involving vocational training, producing and marketing.

Students learn practical skills to prepare them for the workforce: cooking, catering, toy making, agriculture, sewing and weaving. The atmosphere is friendly and the students eager to learn.

A postvocational employment section is part of the necessary fund-raising efforts for the institute. Working with nondisabled staff, students learn how to make and market their products. One such venture is a pilot project in worm farming, established in conjunction with the National Council for Social Welfare Activities. Begun in March this year, the farming, if successful, will result in the institute becoming the training center for this type of agribusiness across Indonesia.

"Our aim is all about providing opportunities for the disabled," Mieke said. "The worm farming project, like all of our projects, will achieve that."

Mieke saw the invitation from Movenpick Marche as a window of opportunity to demonstrate equal opportunity and raise the awareness of the abilities and skills of disabled people.

It was clear that all were anticipating the performance would be special.

The restaurant's social welfare team was excited about the event. "The performance today will give the students a chance to show their skills and abilities. We should focus on what they can do and not just think that they are disabled," cook Abu said.

Kitchen staff member Kosim said: "Physically they are disabled, but inside they're just the same as us." .

And Sunday's experience at the Restaurant was special. At the end of an emotional performance, during which some of Indonesia's top performers were seen wiping tear from their eyes, the stars joined the students for more songs and a rendition of Happy Birthday to the restaurant.

The Jakarta Post spoke to singing group Warna. Still emotional, describing herself as having "goose bumps" during the recital, singer Ria Margaretha was touched by the performance. "I had no idea that disabled people could perform at such a level."

Warna's Nina Taman went further. "They have worked so hard, they should be so proud of what they have done."

The group agreed that the performance had opened their thinking about the abilities of disabled people. "They experienced the same emotions as we do when we perform," commented Stephen Tamadzi. "Nervousness to start with, then a growing confidence as they responded to the approval of the audience. They are sincere people, beautiful on the inside."

For the restaurant staff, Sunday's event and the ongoing campaign helped them feel they could contribute in a meaningful way to those who are marginalized by society.

For the professional artists, the performance opened their eyes to the qualities of the disabled, and brought with it a realization that though the outside may be different, people are similar on the inside.

But perhaps the most significant outcome was for Eva and her friends -- for after it was all over, through excited chatter and laughter, they all voiced the same belief: Through this "opportunity of a lifetime", they had come to realize they were equal to and the same as others. That they too have something to offer society that is of value.