Creating House of Angklung for Street Children, An ITB Student Achieved Award in South Korea

Oleh Natasha Agustina

Editor Natasha Agustina

June 30, 2015

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - Being an agent of change is one of students' main roles. As educated youth generations, students are expected to apply their creative ideas for making changes to solve Indonesia's problems. There's an ITB student, Lydia Ignacia (Chemical Engineering 2011) with her friend Andika from ITS applied their creative idea formed in house of angklung concept named "House of Angklung Surabaya." House of Angklung (HoA) Concept has set Lydia to achieve award in Social Venture Challenge (SVC) 2015 held in Goyang-city, South Korea in March 2015. SVC competition that was initiated by Non-Governmental Organization in United States of America (USA) named Resolution Project, is integrated part of series of event Harvard World Model United Nations 2015 that was attended by 2400 students from 118 countries. Beside as ITB student, Lydia also brought Djarum Foundation's name as her sponsor and mentor in this competition.

"HoA Surabaya competed to other 200 ideas in SVC 2015, then, all ideas were filtered until remained sixteen teams for semifinal round and at last only five teams that were continued to final round," Lydia explained. Concept that was brought by HoA Surabaya not only carried social awareness aspect but also has entrepreneurship side for reach long term aspect and sustainability like what Resolution Project has expected. "This sociopreneur concept that was applied in HoA Surabaya has set us to get Resolution Fllowship award and 3000 USD that will be used for run this project," Lydia added.

About House of Angklung Surabaya

Start from passion of traditional instrument from West Java, angklung, Lydia with her friend began to initiate HoA Surabaya. HoA Surabaya is expansion form of Angklung Surabaya Community that was established in 2013. With theme "Spread the Culture, Leverage the Education," HoA Surabaya was expected not only to spread cultures of West Java in other places but also give positive contribution for child education." HoA Surabaya is a place for those who love Angklung and have intention to sharing with others considering that the main goal of angklung is street children that can't continue their study were taught so that they can play angklung and become angklung teacher," Lydia explained.

Lydia explained that there are more than sixty active street children in HoA Surabaya now. "Recently, HoA Surabaya have held two evets, FTI fun days ITS and ASEAN Youth Collaboration Festival (AYCF) 2015 in Mojokerto," Lydia explained. Besides fee for perform in university, children of HoA also could interact directly with students and rector in university with goal to increase motivation of the children to continue their study until university. Different from the outcomes of AYFC that was also attended by foreigner participants, not only to empowering the children but also this event can be harnessed to introduce angklung to foreigners.

"In HoA Surabaya, we tried to apply entrepreneurship aspect in selling angklung both instrumental form and souvenir form that are decorated by Batik design," Lydia Said. Other uniqueness of HoA Surabaya compared to other houses of angklung is now HoA Surabaya is developing website and also application for smartphone for making consumers easily buy products from HoA Surabaya. "The profit from performances, projects and sale of products will be used for scholarship for children that were included in HoA Surabaya in order they can experience proper education. Even though this program seems simple, this program also impactful," Lydia explained.

"Learning self-development, being open to new things and contributing for surrounding are indeed part of my visions. I believe that the main resource of satisfaction and happiness are from helping others," Lydia explained. HoA Surabaya is the evidence that youth generations of Indonesia can contribute for changes in all things. "Award that HoA has received yesterday is proof that we can compete with students from foreign countries. We youth generations of Indonesia must be brave to speak up, don't be afraid to make mistakes, because we can make it as lessons for the future if we are wrong, but fortunately we can helpful for others if we are right," Lydia closed the conversation.