Reading, Writing, and Arithmetics (Calistung) for Mentaya Seberang

Administrative data for the integrated health-service post (posyandu) in the Mentaya Seberang Village, Seranau District,  East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan, are mostly blank. The majority of residents who came to posyandu were unable to fill it out, while in the sub-district office, administrative officers had difficulty asking residents to write down their names or signatures. Illiteracy is still common in this region, not only among the elderly but also among many productive-age residents.  Since 2022, the calistung program has been supporting the residents of Mentaya Seberang as part of the collaboration between the local community and PT Rimba Makmur Utama (RMU). “The program initiated by PT RMU is in accordance with the program in our village and aims to improve the quality of education in Mentaya Seberang,” explained Reza Aji Maulana Abdi, Mentaya Seberang Village Head.

This program empowers members of the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) and members of the Nurul Jamiah Foundation, where the learning program takes place, as teaching staff.
The reading and writing program is considered a priority because the majority of the participants are traders, so they can already count. This class is open to all residents, both productive age and the elderly, and takes place every Friday. It now has around 14 participants, of which 80% are women aged 25-45 years and, on average, have never received formal education.

The 14 participants who became the first batch of the calistung program in Mentaya Seberang came from 13 out of the 16 RTs (neighborhood associations). The limited number of participants taking part in this class is not without reason, as long distances and limited transportation are some of the biggest challenges. Many are also reluctant to admit that they are illiterate and innumerate. Santi Rahman, Secretary of the Mentaya Seberang Village Head, added that this class was also constrained by age because they felt old and their willingness to learn had decreased. In addition, there were also time constraints because the participants worked as traders. “However, we try to choose the right time so it does not disrupt their work, and I’m sure there is actually a willingness to learn.”

The learning program is designed to be closely relatable to the daily activities of the participants, such as reading food recipes while cooking. Calistung participants who have already passed their test are planning to be involved in pursuing programs for Packages A (equivalent to elementary school), B (equivalent to junior high school), and C (equivalent to high school) in a neighboring village, namely Batuah Village.  “Our target, in the midst of this increasingly developing technology era, is that people can easily enjoy the benefits of technology, keeping abreast of the many advances. In the future, we can work with the Education Office to offer packages so that participants can achieve diplomas. Thus, if they want to work other than as traders, for example, in companies, State Own Enterprises (SOEs or BUMN), or so on, they will be ready well equipped,” added Santi.

“Calistung is one of our initial efforts to improve the quality of the human resources in the Mentaya Seberang Village. We hope that the calistung program can continue in other areas because there are still many who cannot write but can read, and vice versa around here,” Reza concluded.