Simplifying Tradition Changes Children's Future

Economic difficulties are quite complicated problems because they have a large and significant impact on people's lives, especially children. When economic conditions are not good, the impact is not only on health and education but also has an impact on child protection.

If traced not a few cases of violence occurred due to economic conditions. Such is the case in East Sumba, NTT. However, something is interesting when Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) tries to retrace more deeply the reasons why economic problems have become a problem that seems difficult to fix in East Sumba.

The implementation of the exploited customary system, resulting in leakage in the community's economy, turned out to be one of the reasons why economic problems became an important issue in East Sumba. This was also confirmed by Aprianus (46), one of the village leaders who is also a community assisted by WVI.

“The problem of education in our village is due to customary practices, especially the customary practice of death and marriage. In Sumba, if a person dies, they are not buried immediately, it can take years, and waste will occur. Every night you have to sacrifice a pig or a buffalo, so you are in debt and the family no longer thinks about money for the benefit of the child. Marriage customs are the same, masuk-minta is also extravagant, there are so many requests, so usually, the groom's family has to go into debt to marry the woman," said Aprianus.

Seeing these problems, the WVI Sumba Timur Area Program carried out a revitalization program to simplify customs for child protection. Without reducing or changing cultural values, WVI seeks to get closer to traditional leaders and village and district governments to declare the simplification of customs.

Aprianus is one of the village government figures who participated in fighting for the declaration of simplification of customs in his village. Finally on November 11, 2014, the village where Aprianus lived managed to declare a simplification of customs.

“Our village agreed that the death custom can only last up to eight nights and must be buried quickly. More than eight nights, subject to a one-night fine of one million rupiahs for village funds. Until now, all people have complied. Likewise, for marriage, they have begun to reduce their requests for entry and begging," he explained.

Aprianus admitted that he had immediately practiced the simplification of customs at the moment of his mother's death, shortly after the declaration of the simplification of customs was made on November 18, 2014.

“It feels like there is no burden, no debt. Before the simplification of this custom, after every traditional event, you must be pensive because of a lot of debt. As a result, children become victims of anger because they have a lot of emotions and they can't go to school either," he explained.

According to Aprianus, maintaining the practice of simplifying adat is not an easy thing. WVI together with key communities must continue to socialize the importance of this customary simplification practice. He added that discipline is needed to carry out this commitment. Especially the traditional leaders who are at the forefront of bringing messages to the community.

“Thanks to WVI, I also learned many things besides being able to save money, we were also taught to save and manage the family economy. We were taught to have three piggy banks; piggy bank, customs, and household needs. Cannot interfere with each other's piggy bank. Thanks to this knowledge, my children can study outside Sumba, one in Yogyakarta and one in Malang. I keep saving for my three other children who are still in high school, junior high & early childhood so that they can also study abroad like their older siblings,” said the father of five.

Although WVI will finish its service in East Sumba in September 2022, Aprianus commits to continue what WVI has provided for himself and the village community. Aprianus believes that if good things start from their immediate environment, surely other people will feel the same way.

Written by: Gracia Thomas, Volunteer Engagement Executive Wahana Visi Indonesia