Gerakan Peduli Sekitar Kita (GPSK)
Gerakan Peduli Sekitar Kita (In Eng: The Movement of Caring Our Environment) is a local NGO that focusing its programs in environment, education, rural development, and disaster management. This organization first initiated in Mei 2002 by Aiko Senosoenoto. In GPSK, we believe that we decide our own fate. We are the one who can struggle for it. All of our programs are created based on this spirit and aimed to assist people to stand on their own feet and able to struggle for their life. Therefore, we considered highly on education.
Education Division
We have several continuous ongoing projects, which you can support, such as:
1. Open Schools
GPSK’s Open Schools consist of AMERTA Junior High School and AMERTA Vocational Senior High School in Megamendung (Bogor, West Java). GPSK provide all free education facilities; building, teachers, books, all kind of uniforms, extracurricular needs, and others.
Amerta Junior High School is aiming to provide education for children (12 – 18 years old) in Megamendung village, who do not have enough money to send their children to the nearest city for junior high school and who don’t consider education as primary needs (as they mostly only study 6 years basic education.)
Amerta Vocational Senior High School is aiming to provide further education for children from labors and farmers in surrounding villages. This agribusiness and agro-technology school hopefully can assist these children with the skills needed to work in related field.
2. Open Libraries
There are around 11 libraries located in most remote places around Indonesia. One of the libraries is in Sinar Menanga village in Lampung (South Sumatra), where there is no electricity, surrounded by pristine forests, and most people only study until elementary school.
3. Karitra Woman School
In Wonomulyo, we have “Sekolah Karitra”, a school (like high school) for adult women who already married or have children in high schools. GPSK provide the study room, professional teachers and other study material. Expenses, maintenance, and salary are from GPSK. Students do not need to pay anything. Most women in this village were not educated and this increased the generation gap between them and their children. The purpose of Karitra is not only to narrow this gap, but also to educate the women and hopefully they can use it to build their community and this village. Further information/ details can be found in the Proposal and short documentary video of Sekolah Karitra, which is available when requested.
4. Sanggar Samantabadra
Sanggar Samantabadra is similar with boarding school. The student obtain accommodation, food, daily needs, the fee for course, books, uniforms, school’s fee, and others. This is provided for children who do not have enough money to go to school, but have strong determination to study more and passed the tests. We have 4 Sanggar Samantabadra in different cities in Indonesia; Wonogiri, Boyolali, Madiun, and the latest one in Salatiga (central Java). In each of the Sanggar, there are approximately 15 students, both those in Junior High School or Senior High School. They study in public high school. In Sanggar, they also learn about farming, breeding, art-related activities, and, moreover, discipline.
Environment Division
GPSK is first initiate with great concern on our deteriorating environment and the willingness to actually do something about it. That willingness of one person then becomes the willingness of two, three, until thousands people in Indonesia, spreading from Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, until Sulawesi. In Java, we know this as ‘Getok Tular’, spreading from one person to another.
GPSK’s environmental program “A million trees, a thousand wells” is being implemented as tree planting, house of seedling, and workshop for planting and making absorption wells. Until today, there are 600.000 trees being planted by GPSK volunteers from various religion, age, ethnicity, and education background.
To support reforestation, GPSK also build Centre for Fruit and Hard Trees in Megamendung, West Java. In here, GPSK cultivate the seedling of various trees, especially Damar, Mahogany, Africa, and many more. This centre also becomes the activity centre for junior and senior high school in surrounding areas, as well as university students who interested to learn and develop planting.
Rural Development Division
The development and facilities of rural areas are not just far behind cities, but also limited. The villagers have limited access on technology, education, entertainment, and capital income. Even within those limited facilities, we can see those villages have great potentials to develop.
Other than supporting it through education, we try to enhance rural development through:
· Amerta Radio – A community radio made by and for young people in Purworejo village, Central Java. This radio becomes a media, entertainment and free-time activity for young people in this village after they finish working.
· Organic Farming Group in Wonomulyo village, East Java. This is a group of teenagers and young adults who interested to learn and develop organic farming, especially carrots.
· Diverse workshops in many other villages, such as workshop to make organic fertilizer, make recycle products, cultivate mushrooms, and many others.
Disaster Management Division
As a part of society, we also want to contribute something back to the society and country. When it comes to the friends in need, we try as best as possible to help. We believe that GPSK volunteers are committed for this.
· Centre of aid assistance for earthquake and tsunami victims in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
· Centre of aid assistance for earthquake victims in Jogjakarta
· Centre of aid assistance for earthquake victims in Pangandaran, West Java
· Assistance for Tsunami fishers in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
