Red and white never discriminates

The red and white flag flew, simple competitions were held, and laughter could be heard from the grounds of Griya Wreda Jambangan in Surabaya, East Java.

Behind the festivities marking the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia lies a larger question about the meaning of independence for elderly citizens and people with disabilities.

On Wednesday (11/8/2026), around 100 elderly residents of Griya Wreda took part in marble races, balloon-carrying races and cracker-eating contests. Of the more than 300 residents, not all could participate directly due to physical limitations. Those unable to take part still watched the competitions from indoors.

Elsewhere, around 60 children with disabilities at the UPTD Kampung Anak Negeri Kalijudan took part in competitions adapted to their abilities. There were marble races, sack races, cracker-eating contests and a game of moving flags into bottles. Similar activities were also prepared at several other social service locations.

Such scenes are easily read as simple celebrations. But in fact there is an important message within them. Independence should not only be felt by citizens who are healthy, productive and without mobility barriers.

Independence must be present in the form of opportunities to participate, to receive respect, to socialise, to develop potential and to determine quality of life without discrimination.

That message is becoming increasingly important because Indonesia is entering a phase of population ageing. Statistics Indonesia recorded that the proportion of the population aged 60 and above reached 11.97 percent in 2025.

This means the elderly are no longer a small group that can be treated merely as aid recipients, but rather an important part of the social structure and national development.

In East Java, the challenge is even more pronounced. The 2025 Elderly Population Profile of East Java Province recorded the percentage of elderly at 15.40 percent. The province’s population structure has already entered the category of an ageing population. Population ageing brings consequences for health, social protection, family economics, public spaces and government service patterns.

For this reason, the August competitions involving the elderly and children with disabilities should not be read merely as entertainment activities. They can serve as an entry point for re-examining whether urban development truly provides an equal place for groups that have so far more often been positioned as service recipients.

Space for equality

The strength of the activities at Griya Wreda and Kalijudan lies in the effort to provide the same joy. The elderly are not only cared for, but given space to gather. Children with disabilities are not merely accompanied, but invited to compete, cooperate and demonstrate their abilities.

Even the prizes for the elderly, in the form of favourite foods adjusted to their health conditions, show that the social service approach does not always have to take the form of material assistance. Attention to life experiences, preferences, past memories and psychological needs is also part of quality of life.