UNAIR NEWS – With the goal of supporting the family’s economy, there are a lot of minors found selling stuff in the streets. It is unfair if the needs and rights they are supposed to get are not met. They sacrifice their time for playing and learning to acquire skills for the sake the family.
Knowing the difficulties faced by children living on the street, three students majoring in Public Administration FISIP Universitas Airlangga, Aisyah Nusa Ramadhana, Aisah Anggraeni Reswariningtyas, and Muhammad Reza Dzulfikri, have introduced entrepreneurial learning for children so they could one day independent.
Some of the street children hanging at Jl. Gemblongan Surabaya, which are also part of the children who have joined the community of Save Street Child(SSC), Surabaya.
Contribution of ideas to the development of entrepreneurial potential for street and marginal children, was then written as proposal for Community Service Student Creativity Program (PKMM) entitled “COCA-COLA ( Cool Handicraft and Cooking Class ) as Facility for Entrepreneurship Potential for Street and Marginal Children In Save Street Child Community Surabaya “.
Under the guidance of their lecturer, this proposal has passed the selection of Dikti, so it is entitled to obtain development grants from Kemenristekdikti in 2016-2017 PKM program.
Aisyah Nusa Ramadhana, the head of PKM team explained that the movement is aimed to provide effective solution in developing entrepreneurship potential in street children and marginal. In the long run, the education from “COCA-COLA” can reduce the number of street and marginal children who spend time outside the house.
“What’s special from our research is the Training of Trainer for team members so the purpose and objectives can be achieved well and the training runs smoothly according to the plan that has been prepared,” said Aisyah N. Ramadhana.
A member of the COCA-COLA Team is learning in the midst of street children. (Photo: Doc PKMM)
First activity carried out, ” Which One Your Cool Handicraft ” implemented dissemination, introduction, and training to make crafts. The second was ” Let’s Join Cooking Class “, the children in SSC Community of Gemblongan area were taught how to cook. The third activity, ” Market Day “, was a visit to public places and they held a bazaar to market their works and creations.
“In principle, our activities in COCA-COLA is more directed to instill entrepreneurial mindset in children early on, especially street and marginal children so they can be independent financially,” said Aisyah.
For four months the COCA-COLA team implemented the program. Skills such as crafts that are successfully taught to children include handcrafting with kokoru, making greeting cards, cooking training (making fruit salads, es capucino, ice cream and es kopyor), as well as training on selling them. This program has also prepared the cadres as successors for the activities, which was held in collaboration with Surabaya Social Agency to monitor and support the sustainability of this program.
“The children to the COCA-COLA program responded positively and enthusiastically. There’s even one child, named Siska who said , ‘Teach us making things with kokoru, we’ll sell it to my friends’. It’s like there is a wind blow of happiness, hearing the statement that the program is able to instill entrepreneurship to the children, ” added Aisyah.
SSC volunteers also play an active role, always participates. There is also support from the supervising lecturers. It is shown in the number of suggestions and criticisms submitted in every activity. The COCA-COLA program is expected to change the mindset of street and marginal children to be independent.
The next step of COCA-COLA is educating cadres from outside the SSC community, both with academic background or the general public, so that the program is able to improve social awareness to the surrounding environment. If the program starts from the Gemblongan community SSC community, then it can be extended to all SSC Communities in Surabaya. (*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
