Kang GURU Travels to Yogyakarta - 2010

The first person I met in Yogyakarta was Danis. Danis Sriwijaya is a young man who is about to go to Australia as an AIYEP. He spoke with KGI in Yogyakarta and you can hear Danis on KGI radio in October. Danis is keen to see Australia and to be part of the AIYEP experience.

When I visited on August 22nd, the 26 UGM students, under guidance from Prof. Ahamd, had been living in the village for two months working with the community.

They had been working in areas directly related to the provision of the water such as -

- community awareness of importance of sustainable water supplies

- the efficient use of that water

- agriculture (cacao, cattle)

- home-grown medicines

- project administration and accountability

- public health including mosquito control, and

- livestock development and care.

ALL of these areas are intermingled and developed in a coordinated way between the UGM students and the villagers. FANTASTIC!!! It is NOT just about the water!

On Monday morning I went to University Gaja Mada in Yogyakarta to meet with students from the Kakultas Teknik/Physics Department and conduct a session (in English) with them. I arrived at 9.00am and the 80 or so students were ready and eager. They were interactive and like all students (from SD to SMA) they enjoyed the quizzes and games. I hope KGI can return to UGM soon and especially if this group starts an English club as they said they would.

During the afternoon I visited REAL English in Sleman to meet for an hour with 25 of their wonderful, young SD English language students. KGI does not usually work with SD levels BUT these particular students were simply fantastic. Their teacher, Pak Dwi Setiyawan, is a long time supporter of KGI and it was a pleasure to call in and visit him and his team AND the students.

Danis Swiwijaya in Yogyakarta

Some of the 26 UGM students and the solar-powered pump ready for servicing and repairs. It looks small but it is powerful when hooked up to the solar power.

Ahmad and his son standing high atop a nearby hill - solar panels behind them collect the sunshine

UGM students at the pump site
at a nearby underground river wate source. There IS water in the hills but gettting it to villages is the challenge.

KGI interview
time with Rumanti

Ahmad always surprises me!

Prof. Ahmad Agus Setiawan

PhD in Renewable Energy Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology in 2009. Is a member of Australia Awards Alumni Reference Group (ARG) and holds the position of Regional Representative for Central Indonesia on the Executive Committee. An Assistant Professor at the Department of Engineering Physics, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. Is passionate about his work on the development of sustainable power and water supply systems for remote areas in Indonesia.

S1 at Universitas Gaja Mada - Electirical Engineering

Master in Sustainable Energy Engineering - Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden

PhD in Renewable Energy Systems - Curtin University, Perth, Australia

Mondialogo Engineering Award 2007 from UNESCO and Daimler

Presenter (representing Rektor UGM) at 3rd ASEAN Education Forum on Education for Sustainable Development, 19 August 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam

Related article written by Lisa Mollard, Unit Manager, Scholarships, Volunteering & Visibility from AusAID Jakarta

Solar Power ends water supply woes in Indonesia thanks to an Australia Awards Alumni Dr Ahmad Agus Setiawan, and Australian Development Scholarships alumni, with a PhD in Renewable Energy Systems began making a difference in the lives of local communities around Yogyakarta long before his return to Indonesia.

In 2007, Ahmad won a Mondialogo Engineering Award from Daimler and UNESCO for his project -Development of Sustainable Power and Water Supply for Remote Areas and Disaster Response and Reconstruction in Indonesia.

This community service program involved groups of students from Curtin University (Perth) and Gadja Mada University ( UGM Yogyakarta) and participation from the local communities, local government and private industry in and around Yogyakarta in Banyumeneng hamlet. The teams created and installed 15 solar powered water pumps that pump water from the local Tuk Kaligede river approximately 2kms downhill. The water is pumped to tanks located in the villages at the top of the mountains – now 52 families have fresh water ‘on tap’. The pumps are managed by the community through the Tuk Kaligede Management Organisation, formed by the local families. Through the KMO, each family pays Rp 15,000 per month (the equivalent of AUD$1.50) for unlimited fresh water – far less than the costs they previously faced as the average travel time of 1.5 hours was the norm to find water that cost upward of RP 35,000 to buy.

In recognition for is work, Ahmad won the UGM 60th Anniversary Award for The Best Research-based Community Service and is a member of the Australia Indonesia Alumni Reference Group. We are currently working with Ahmad to see how AusAID can further support this program’s expansion through our Volunteering Program.