Slamet Riyanto: Providing light despite his darkness

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Blind since he was a teenager, Slamet Riyanto is a respected figure at the Indra Kesuma Social Home for the Blind in Bandarlampung.

The community there approached him in September 1998 to voice their concerns over food rations at the home, which had been cut to two serves a day of rice with the addition of only salted fish or beancurd/beancake.

Slamet called together hundreds of blind people to stage a rally demanding better conditions. Traveling by truck and public transportation one Monday morning in September 1998 they congregated at the regional office of the social affairs ministry in the hope of meeting with the office head.

Their demand was clear: the replacement of Rohili Suryalaga, the head of the home.

"How does he have the heart to cut the rations of people like us", Slamet shouted.

Their demand was met and, a few days later, Rohili was relieved of his post. The diet of people living at the home improved, with fried eggs and fresh fish added to the menu.

Slamet's belief that blindness is no obstacle to helping people in need grew stronger. He was determined to assist the blind community.

He became involved in 1997 with activists for democracy. They usually got together at the Legal Aid Office in Bandarlampung. Aside from holding discussions on the issues of the day, the group also pleaded the cause of peasants, laborers and fishermen.

Slamet, unperturbed by his lack of vision, freely expressed his opinions in seminars or during hearings with the regional legislative assembly. His speech is eloquent and succinct, revealing his above-average intelligence and his sharp memory.

Slamet said a commonly held view of the blind was that they knew nothing and were deserving of pity.

"I want to prove to the public that blind people are knowledgeable and can take part in organizational activities. They can also be useful to other people and can help develop their country," said Slamet, now the father of a child.

Slamet has been active in the Association of Muhammadiyah Students (IMM), the Indonesian Association of Blind People (Pertuni) Lampung chapter, the Network of the Community Concerned with Transparency and Regional Autonomy (JMPTOD), Forum for Budget Transparency (FTA) and the Lampung People's Council (DRL).

A masseur by trade, rallies often took priority for Slamet over the years. He recalls often taking part in JMPTOD and FTA protests at the building of the Lampung legislative assembly over budgetary allocations.

"I was happy to hear that legislators involved in a Rp 14 billion graft case related to the 2001-2003 Lampung provincial budget were named as suspects by the provincial prosecutor's office. Unfortunately, nothing more has been heard about the case," said Slamet, who is married to Ade Yusia.

Born in Purbolinggo, East Lampung, on July 16, 1973, Slamet had full sight as a child but was diagnosed with glaucoma at the age of 13.

Despite his failing sight, Slamet completed senior high school with good grades and later graduated in communications from the Lampung Muhammadiyah University (UML).

Besides his busy schedule -- earning a living and managing Pertuni -- he still finds time to volunteer as an English teacher at Insani Special School for the blind.

"Well, sometimes I get paid, sometimes not," he said.

"What matters to me is that other people benefit from my successes in life. If blind people can communicate well, particularly in English, I will be very pleased," he added.

Slamet has faced many challenges in his task as many blind people have been denied an education and are too simple and pragmatic in their way of thinking.

"Let's say someone gives them capital of Rp 200,000, they will refuse it. However, if they are given Rp 20,000, and are free to spend it, they will take it. I must change this way of thinking," he said.

Along with the other board members of Pertuni, Slamet is now working on welfare programs for the blind. Among activities for the blind is a breathing class that teaches techniques useful in massage. In this case, Pertuni cooperates with the Cakra Indonesia Breathing Martial Arts School (SCI) in Lampung.

Slamet also wants blind people to learn self-defense skills and, toward this end, Pertuni is teaming up with Merpati Putih Self Defense Art School.

He said blind people were often the victims of crime.

Besides, he added, a blind man who masters self-defense skills can, for example, cross a busy road without the least possibility of being hit by a car.

For blind women, Slamet has arranged monthly Koran study sessions, cooperatives for lending and saving, Arabic braille courses and training on how to make chips from melinjo seeds or Gnetum gnemon.