mongabay.co.id - His name is Ahmad Bahruddin. He has a long pony tailed hair. He is the founder of Qoryah Thayibbah Farmers Association Union. This farmers’ association was established 16 years ago in Kalibening Village, Tingkir Subdistrict, Salatiga, Central Java.

At the time, the conditions of farmers’ education in the rural area were limited. He dreamt that one day farmers will be able to provide their own food and energy needs, manage the rain water and turn them into a blessing.

He also opened up an alternative school, Qoryah Thayibbah. The school did not follow national curriculum. This school treat the children as subjects who learn lessons, instead of objects being taught with lessons.

The school building is modest, it has no class rooms, no desks and chairs. It looks clean and is situated next to a residential home. Kang Din, as he is fondly called, wishes that children will be able to identify the nature potentials and history of the village through this school. He dreams that one day the children will contribute in the village development through their own works ad creativities.

Qoryah, actually is a manifestation of concern and Kang Din’s refusal against the curriculum of national education which keep the children away from the village.

In Qoryah, he wishes to keep the children close to nature, village, and show greater concerns to the environments. “The students using the national curriculum have turned into smart children but lack of wisdom, they don’t even recognize the surrounding environment, the nature, dn environmental conditions. They lack the critical thoughts regarding the issues in the village and therefore unable to act in equitable manner.”

“Our curriculum education is unilaterally imposed by the national government. There is an elementary school in almost every village, none of them learn about the village. None of them discusses about the history and natural wealth,” he said.

Children, he said, are inseparable from the context of rural living, nature, and society. “This education method will free them and keep the children close to the village and nature,” he said.

Formal education, he said, forces the children to keep a distance with the village. Ideally education should be child-centric.

“Children should be facilitated based on their intelligence. Active and productive children should be entrusted to express their ideas.”

The school was establiished in 2003. The method of learning lets the children what they wish to learn, their learning schedules, location, and course subjects. Education is childcentric. “We support all children’s decision, as long as it is not harmful and put other people at disadvantage. Children should be able to contribute to something beneficial and show their works.”

Qoryah students are free to express themselves and show their creativities. Matted hair or dreadlocks are okay. “We ask for presentation and sharing of knowledge, while the school let the students to have their own hairstyles. Formal schools perceive state institutions as ultimate truth which limit the room for creativities. That is what we call arrogance.”

How do students learn about nature and village in Qoryah?

When a student wishes to learn how to plant a rice paddy, he said, the student will be invited to practice planting the rice paddy. Previously, the student will learn the whole process from planting the crops to crop harvest.

Children learn to understand about their village, for example, the issue on problematic water resources, followed by conservation measures and building infiltration wells.

The state, he said, has alienated the community from their village potentials which subsequently lead to the migration of young people in the village to the urban areas to work as manual labours.

“Why would you go to Jakarta or to the urban areas when you can develop the village? Why would you be a migrant worker if you could be productive in the village? Urbanisation is responded by village community empowerment,” he said.

Putting biogas to use

During his daily activities, he also teaches activities which are ecologically friendly. For cooking and lighting purposes, he uses biogas in which the raw materials are animal manures and human excrements. He has been using biogas for 18 years. It all started when he was in Solo, learning to put the biogas to use. They practice what they call “when there is a power outage, use the biogas to fuel the pressurised paraffin lamp.”

Yusrin, the resident of Tengaran Subdistrict, Semarang thinks that SPQT advocacies have positive impacts. The flame is large and bluish while the gas is odorless. Having two dairy cows in his backyard, he started to build a digester tube. Out of the manures, biogas energy and organic fertilisers are produced. Yusrin remains enjoy the milk production of his cows. It has been almost six years since he purchased an LPG tank.

“I use biogas to fuel my pressurised paraffin lamp when there is a power outage and for cooking purposes,” uttered Yusrin.

At the end of 2015, President Joko Widodo together with several of his ministers greeted Kang Din and members of SPQT. He provided his feedback and shared his experience on advocating the farmers and village communities. There were four points.

Firstly, productive economic institution. According to hime, the presence of cooperative which upholds the principles of collaboration and mutual assistance are necessary in order to facilitate farmers and fishermen.

Secondly, water conservation. This is essential due to poor water management in Indonesia. He gave an example, SPPQT was involved in building 1,000 infiltration wells in Patemon Village at an area of 1,000 m2 with a 3,000 liters of precipation level. It means, that 30 billion liters of water have been saved as clean water as water is filtered by the soil’s natural filtration system.

“The impact is positive, the risk of flood is minimised, underground water supply will be abundant. This is God’s grade which need to be preserved.”

Thirdly, farmers’ education. He has a dream that one day there will be village institutions supported by the state until the academicians in village communities are equivalent to the university graduate. “Everything now is available in the internet. We do not have to migrate to the urban areas.”

Fourthly, in terms of energy, especially biogas produced by cattle manures, which is easy to prepare and feasible for development in the rural areas. The availability of biogas may help the farmers to obtain gas for cooking and lighting purposes as well as adequate supply of high quality fertilisers.

Through anaerob digester fermentation, he said, gas and fertilisers are produced. Nitrogen content are three times greater in comparison to the ordinary manures.

As biogas users, Yusrin and other farmers emphasised the benefits of biogas when they met Jokowi. “We propose to the President, village funds for labour intensive activities, energy, fertilisers, and bonus for mitigating global warming. These ideas are based on our experience. The dream is for each village to be self-sustanance in energy supply. “The Village Law stipulates that each village will receive a Rp 1.4 billions.”

Based on the experience, a Rp 5.5 million and Rp 2 million subsidy will enable us to build a digester as the energy and fertiliser’s storehouse. Using the village funds to build 10 digesters annually, it will cost us only Rp 55 millions. “Moreover the government now is committed to the renewable energy.”

(Source: http://www.mongabay.co.id/2016/01/25/belajar-dari-ahmad-bahruddin-dari-sekolah-mengenal-alam-sampai-energi-ramah-lingkungan/)