Ten Finalist Village Heads for Benyamin S Award Attend Communications Training

Ten village heads who are finalists for the Benyamin S Award (BSA) attended communications training organised by the Jakarta Provincial Government. The “One Day Public Speaking and Showmanship Workshop” was held at Grha Ali Sadikin in Jakarta City Hall, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (13 October).

Ten village heads and their support teams from across Jakarta took part in the training. The participating urban villages were Pulau Panggang, Kelapa Gading Timur, Malaka Sari, Utan Kayu Selatan and Srengseng, as well as Sukabumi Utara, Taman Sari, Kebon Baru, Cilandak Barat and Kebon Sirih.

Held in partnership with ParagonCorp, the workshop covered techniques for delivering messages and communicating effectively with the public. It also included material intended to build the village heads’ awareness and skills in showmanship, or personal presentation.

The training was divided into three sessions. First, the village heads received instruction on presence and mindset. They also learned about message structure, including how to organise a strong presentation, create an outline and develop compelling talking points.

Finally, they studied personal presentation through sessions on stage management and storytelling. The village heads showed their enthusiasm by actively participating throughout the workshop.

Communications trainer Omar Danishwara invited them to practise storytelling and teamwork using art materials and toy building blocks.

He said village heads should not view communication skills as separate from other abilities. These skills are important, particularly when they are entrusted with leadership roles.

“Leaders ultimately try to approach many things through their respective skills, including communication — for example, public speaking or effective communication based on problem-solving,” Omar said.

He added that one aim of the training was to help village heads communicate their programmes to residents.

“How can they communicate a programme to the public so that it can be implemented well, realised collectively and have a sustainable impact?” Omar said.

The programmes run by the finalist urban villages must also be presented in the next stage of the BSA. The workshop therefore serves as preparation for the village heads’ final assessment, in which they will present before the Benyamin S Award jury on 15 October.

Henny Mahrojah, head of Kebon Sirih urban village, said she had benefited from the workshop. She said she had learned about several factors that need to be considered when giving a presentation.

“We have to tell a story and make the audience — in this case, the assessors — interested in it. I will apply what I have learned when I give my presentation on 15 October,” Henny said.

Abdul Malik Raharusun, head of Taman Sari urban village, expressed a similar view. He said he had gained considerable knowledge and experience, particularly in public speaking.

“We were coached in public speaking, which I hope will be a valuable experience and preparation for our presentations,” Abdul said.

The Benyamin S Award is a Jakarta Provincial Government programme run through the Regional Cooperation Bureau of the Regional Secretariat. It recognises urban villages in Jakarta that are committed to creating a clean, comfortable, beautiful and prosperous city.

Following the final presentation assessment, the BSA’s culminating event will be held on 30 October 2026.