UNAIR NEWS – A student of Universitas Airlangga ( UNAIR ) Afnan Rizqiana Salsabila successfully participated in Pemuda Indonesia Menyapa Dunia Malaysia-Thailand #2 2022 Program from October 30 to November 3, 2022, initiated by Yayasan Inisiatif Pemuda Pena. During those four days, the student from Faculty of Social and Political Sciences visited various tourist attractions and did a community service at one of the non-formal schools in Malaysia.

Afnan’s participation is a process of a dream which has finally come true. This process cannot be separated from human life. So Afnan goes through her stages of life with prayer and faith.

“Every living person will experience a process whether it’s to survive or achieve what they dream of. So do your best, don’t forget to pray and leave the results to God,” she said.

In the selection process attended by all young people from all parts of Indonesia. Afnan completed all stages of the selection, including the administration selection test, the written test and the nationalism insight, until the last stage of the interview without major obstacles.

“There are no significant obstacles. But I tried to manage my intention and be consistent in collecting a lot of paperwork and writing essays. And in the written test, material being tested was almost similar to PKN lessons,” she said.

This success could not be separated from her encouragement to take part in international events. So that she can achieve one of her short-term goals, getting a chance to get on a plane and go abroad for free.

Visit various tourist attractions

With other delegates from each Indonesian province, they had the opportunity to visit Malaysia for four days and one day in Thailand. The Information Science and Library Study Program student visited various sites such as the Petronas Towers and other tourist sites.

“We visited various tourist spots while exploring the culture. Because during the tour, we were also accompanied by a tour guide there,” she said.

Not only that, but she also tried a variety of culinary and eating habits that are quite unique. Not only traveling in Malaysia, in Thailand, Afnan also visited Hatyai Island, whose beach is famous for its mermaid legend. However, Afnan had difficulty finding halal food and was always vigilant about her belongings.

“Thailand’s tourism is no less interesting than Malaysia’s. However, the crime rate is quite high, and it’s difficult to find halal food,” she said.

Get to know the majority religion

Even though she was only in Thailand for one day, Afnan had the opportunity to visit various places of worship there. Thailand, with a Buddhist majority, has a variety of fascinating temples to visit.

“In Thailand, we study the dominant religion there, Buddhism, we visited several Buddhist temples there, which are quite a lot,” she said.

Teaching in non-formal school

Apart from traveling, Afnan also participated in community service in a studio in Penang, Malaysia. The studio is a non-formal school established by the Indonesian Consulate General and the community there for children with limited access to education. From this limitation, they have difficulty in reading, writing and arithmetic abilities.

“Many children do not get formal education there. I had the opportunity to teach people of all ages about Indonesia, “ she said.

After participating in the program, Afnan hopes that the program will be supported by Universitas Airlangga in the future, especially for financial support of outbound students. Furthermore, such community service can be a reference for universities to carry out international social activities.

Author: Monika Astria Br Gultom 

Editor: Feri Fenoria