Gebrak Indonesia: Creating Independent Society in Multiple Sectors

Oleh Bangkit Dana Setiawan

Editor -

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - One of college's Tri Dharma is a community development. Community development is not only about giving something to society and they just accept what student has given to without doing anything. Community development is more than that, the main goal of community development is to 'change' people's mindset to be independent society by maximizing existing potential. By forming an advanced society then a more advanced civilization will also formed indirectly. Therein lies the role of students as agent of change.

Gebrak Indonesia is a sustainable community development which is initiated by HMS (Himpunan Mahasiswa Teknik Sipil) and Cabinet KM (Keluarga Mahasiswa) ITB. Gebrak Indonesia, Gerakan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Indonesia, was established on April 11 in 2013 with the vision "Create independent society through synergistic community development". With Gebrak Indonesia, society is considered as 'subject' not as 'object', society take an active role in the development of society and make theselves as agents of change for the others.

Gebrak Indonesia is collaboration  of some organization in ITB which concerns in community development. "To reach many sectors in society, we can't do it alone, we need to collaborate with other organization," said Aziz (Civil Engineering 2010) as the vice chairman of Gebrak Indonesia. Organizations that play role in Gebrak Indonesia are Cabinet KM ITB, Sibades HMS ITB, Satoe Indonesia, Fardes HMF (Himpunan Mahasiswa Farmasi) ITB, and Desa.In Product Design ITB. These organization act  in accordance with their respective expertise, such as HMS role in infrastructure development, HMF is responsible for environmental health, and Satoe Indonesia is responsible in development of entreprenurship, etc.

Desa Warjabakti, Kecamatan Cimaung, Bandung is a village that Gebrak Indonesia's team will reach their vision. "Previously, we have conducted survey of more than 20 villages in Bandung, but the most feasible is Desa Warjabakti," said Aziz. Many parameters are considered before Gebrak Indonesia's team chose Desa Warjabakti because the goal of Gebrak Indonesia is 'to touch' many sector in society. Things to consider are demoghrapics, infratructure, economic, education, region, and the most important is the potential that can be developed  in the village in order to become independent village.

In doing social mapping, Gebrak Indonesia is assisted by Indonesian anthropologist to do a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis. Social mapping is needed to determine what action should be taken by Gebrak Indonesia to do community development in Desa Warjabakti. Analysis should be done on many  side, can't just only one side because the goal of Gebrak Indonesia is to fix many sector, such as education, economy, infrastructur, enviromental health and social life of society.

The Result of Analysis and Role of Gebrak Indonesia in Multiple Sector


In education sector, 55% people of Desa Warjabakti only got education from elementary school. This is because awareness of the importance of education is still low. In addition to the absence of adequate infrastructure such as Middle School is located too far from village, so it makes people reluctant to pursue advanced education. This is very ironic because Indonesian government gives policy in education sector which says that Indonesian people have to reach their educational level at least untill senior high school (obligation to study at least 12 years), but the reality there are still many Indonesian people are not awaere of this. "This is the role of Gebrak Indonesia to  enhance their awareness about the importance of education and to advocate to the government to build middle school arround Desa Warjabakti and also maximizing learning packages that already exist," said Aziz.

In economic sector, most of Warjabakti's people work as farmer and the result of their farm are corn, rice, onion, and many more. The role of Gebrak Indonesia is to give the added value of agricultural result and educate them about agricultural technology so that they can maximize the result. "We can facilitate the pacakaging so that corn and the others agricultural product can be sold at supermarket with higher price," said Aziz. Beside of that Gebrak Indonesia will give the education about entrepreneurship through labor-intensive business. "Satoe Indonesia team will be responsible for growing the entrepreneurship character to Warjabakti's people," added Aziz.

There are many inadequate infrastructures in Desa Warjabakti, such as clean water piping system, the absence of middle school arround the village, the road condition is still bad, the broken bridges, and many more. Gebrak Indonesia initiate infratructure development by advocating to government and several companies. "Society is subject not an object, because of that we will not fund all of the development, we hope they can fund it through their business which is developed, so they can be more independent," said Aziz

Creating independent society can be done in short time and not an easy thing. Gebrak Indonesia team hope that this movement ca be inisiator student movement to be more aware about the problem in society and dare to become agent of change for a better civilization. "Hopefully Gebrak Indonesia can be sustain and more organization that join this program, because to reach big goal, we should not work alone, need more people who care about Indonesia," closed Aziz


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