Finding the Smile in Anak Rimba

That log cabin has lit up since 4 AM.

“Come along, bebet, goding!”

Bebet is a nickname for one gender (any gender), goding is for the opposite gender.

Besidam, Mergo Bungo, Margo, Meruan, climb down. “It’s still dark. Can’t we wait till the sun is up?” Yohana Marpaung said. Bebudak (the children) did not care. They get even noisier.

After they descended from the log cabin, the wooden furnace was lit. They cooked the rice in the kettle. Anchovy, potatoes, chili, and onion were sautéed.

At 6 AM breakfast was served. Juana, one of Anak Rimba who could not pronounce the letter Y, served the breakfast. “So delicious!” Besidam said. ⠀

Yo also bathed them, trimmed their nails. “I am just like their mother.”

Once the breakfast is finished, the children went into the jungle. They have to help their parents who live in a sudung (a tarp tent) inside the jungle: rubber tapping, fruit picking or boar hunting.

The log cabin by the Terap riverside has gone quiet.

When midday comes, the cabin has once again become lively. One by one, the children will arrive. Playing first, then they grabbed a book and sat in a circle.

Orang Rimba from Terap River follows the custom dedicatedly. Children are only allowed to learn reading, writing, and counting. Nothing beyond that. These skills are beneficial to help their parents in weighing resin, rubber, and counting money during sales. “Also, to avoid being tricked by people from companies who are so eager to expand their land through the jungle,” Yo explained.

“The children are so enthusiastic. Noon, afternoon, evening, I am always ready whenever they grab a book.” Yo said. “I was once woken up at 2 AM, and they asked me to teach them.”⠀

No matter how tired or sleepy Yo is, she never refused. Based on the experience, “If we refuse once, it will be challenging to ask them to learn again later on.”⠀

Yo has become the education facilitator in the jungle of Terap river in Jambi for eight months. This holder of bachelor degree in Anthropology from USU and a master degree from UGM was once a World Bank employee, “Working behind the desk did not suit me well. I just love going to the jungle.”

Yo joined KKI Warsi and was assigned to be an education facilitator. It was like a dream came true. “It is exhausting, and I admit, there were times when I was thinking of resigning. There is no signal here and I suffered from malaria too.”

But the thought of resigning was gone immediately once she saw the smiles on the face of these Anak Rimba.⠀

One time, Yo went to Jambi city for a little longer. Coming back to Terap, she found a love letter from the children, “When is mikha (you) coming back, we miss you. When are we going for fruit picking again by the river?” ⠀

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PUBLISHED BY Puan Indonesia
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