The team consisting of four students - Ahmad Shodiq Multazim (Civil Engineering 2018), Fahryan Arditama (Civil Engineering 2020), Niken Roro (Chemistry 2018) and Annisa Kisam (Biology 2018) - conducted their community service at Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara from May 28 to June 11, 2022.

As the leader of the expedition, Ahmad shared that the team initially observed the problems in the area via secondary data. The results of such mapping were validated through primary observations as well as interviews with local stakeholders and affected residents.

"It was difficult to initially assess the data without knowing the situation on-site, but we were able to communicate with the Chairman of MUI West Manggarai Mr Syakar, who helped us get more detailed and representative data. He also assisted us throughout this program," Shodiq added. Based on the observations, the problem was revealed to stem from the low quality of education compared to Java.

Many efforts have been made to improve the equitable quality of education in East Nusa Tenggara, one of which is by establishing informal educational institutions. They aim to help and facilitate children who do not have access to formal education due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Information obtained on-site shows that there are still many informal educational institutions in East Nusa Tenggara that require better learning infrastructure and facilities, especially classrooms. A Quran Porch located in Wae Nahi Village is one clear example of this urgency; it is currently an open space with a size of 3x7 m that can accommodate 50 students.

The Ganesha Expedition team offers several solutions to this issue. One of which is building a 4x7-meter versatile learning shelter. In addition to being a place for studying, it can be used as a prayer room for residents and children. The planning and design process is done directly by the team members from the ITB Civil Engineering study program in coordination with local villages. The shelter was constructed with the help of local communites for two weeks.

Another solution proposed by the team is to provide several workshops and seminars with different themes for different target audiences. High school students can take part in motivational seminars to enter college, whereas junior high school students can take part in activities to increase learning motivation with experimental methods. Elementary students can take part in counseling on clean and healthy lifestyles. All activities on Ganesha Expedition are documented on Instagram @ekspedisiganesha or via YouTube

Community service involves various disciplines and requires good soft skills. Although it seemed simple, real solutions that are proven to be correct are needed by the community, in which Ahmad commented this expedition was not as easy as it looked. This expedition requires skills in adapting to remote places, negotiating, making decisions, and good team management.

"I hope this program can be a learning experience for anyone serious about improving this country," Shodiq stated.

Reporter: Hanan Fadhilah Ramadhani (Civil Engineering, 2019)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Environmental Engineering, 2019)