“Sugar Cane Party with Wahyu Nurmaruf”

He is my 21 old year young fellow. I met him one week ago at Students Nature’s Union meeting after delivering a talk on Climate Change issue. In Berau district, with population of almost 170 thousand people within 2,2 Mio Ha, this area is considered small and scattered population. You only have three higher educations namely, STIT (College for Education Sciences), STIPER (College for Agriculture Sciences) and STIEM (Muhammadiyyah College for Economic Sciences).

Wahyu Nurmaruf is registered as the 2nd semester student of English Department at STIT. The learning and teaching is start from 7pm to 10pm in the evening. All of these colleges start their class on the same period. In this city education should run in efficient way. School building has got many purposes that operate almost 18 hours a day. From Junior and High school students in the morning until afternoon time and college student in the evening time. Lecturers also the same, start early morning as government employees and continue educating students in the evening. That’s truly dedication!

Wahyu chose English Department because he said that he wants to be a business man. “I knew a bit of accounting from my senior high school therefore I don’t need to go to STIEM, and as I am doing farming myself, its not necessary for me taking STIPER, so here I am stretching my English skills” Said Wahyu.

Sunday, June 28, 2009, I drove by to his farm with English senior teacher in Berau. To my surprise he is actually a successful young entrepreneur. His start his day at down at 4 am to 7 am by selling his own garden veggies to Gayam local market. Returning to his house, he will work in the garden of 2500 m2 until noon time. Then in the afternoon after harvesting ready sold commodities, he goes to campus for studying.

He grows different kind of veggies at Jalan Murjani II Gang Lestari in Tanjung Redeb city. From mustard greens, kangkung, spinach, lettuce, banana, sugar cane and cassava. I took this opportunity to try his sugar cane, the yellowish and greenish one. While he prepared our sugar cane party, the young boy who has been farming for almost half of his age. He gave me Climatology lesson. “If there is no rain in a week and you have got high temperature, then usually down pour will come at the end of the week” said this oldest brother of three siblings.

Wahyu is very proud to him self, looking towards the future he is now earning Rp 3 Million/month. “This is enough to support my education and family” said Wahyu with a wide smile. He has got the secret ingredients of success from working hard, discipline and setting high bar for himself.

-Insight Market-ing, Life and Conservation Journal-Sunday, 28th June 2009/ Uncle Fakhrizal
@:^)