Hijrah Saputra, Anak Muda Ikut Bangkitkan Aceh Usai Tsunami

EDITOR : YAYAN SUPRIYANTO

Bencana tsunami yang terjadi di Aceh pada tahun 2004 lalu membawa banyak perubahan pada kawasan ini. Selain mengembalikan struktur kota, juga memberdayakan masyarakat agar bangkit dan kembali membangun Tanah Rencong.

Hal inilah yang jadi perhatian Hijrah Saputra, seorang wirausahawan kreatif asal Sabang. Pada 2012 lalu, ia mendirikan komunitas The Leader yang menjadi wadah anak-anak muda untuk membangun Aceh melalui perubahan sosial.

“Bagaimana caranya anak-anak yang punya kekuatan, semangat dan tenaga untuk berkontribusi di daerahnya masing-masing,” kata Hijrah. “The Leader itu untuk membuat perkembangan diri sendiri, baru kemudian jadi contoh untuk orang lain.”

Hijrah Saputra. (Lentera Indonesia/Anggi Ramadhan)

Melalui komunitas tersebut, Hijrah dan anggota lainnya mengadakan berbagai kegiatan, seperti aksi sosial. Pendekatan juga dilakukan pada anak-anak Aceh yang menjadi generasi penerus Tanah Rencong. Salah satunya dengan mendongeng sebagai trauma healing untuk anak-anak korban tsunami.

“Anak-anak kan generasi selanjutnya. Kalau orangtua kan mungkin perubahannya agak susah. Tapi kalau anak-anak, lebih gampang masuk,” jelas Hijrah pada tim Lentera Indonesia. “Mereka bisa memahami potensi yang ada untuk Aceh ke depannya seperti apa.”

Hijrah Saputra. (Lentera Indonesia/Anggi Ramadhan)

Selain The Leader, Hijrah juga mengembangkan potensi wisata Aceh lewat pusat souvenir Piyoh. Cowok lulusan Teknik Planologi Universitas Brawijaya Malang ini memanfaatkan kemampuan desain grafisnya untuk membuat berbagai kreasi oleh-oleh khas Sabang, seperti kaos, jaket, mug dan stiker.

“Piyoh muncul sebagai media promosi pariwisata. Saya coba cari konten lokal di Aceh. Kemudian saya buat desain, dijadikan produk dan dipasarkan lewat Piyoh,” kata pria 30 tahun ini.

Hijrah Saputra. (Lentera Indonesia/Anggi Ramadhan)

Upayanya mengembangkan wisata Aceh juga dilakukan dengan mengadakan program paket wisata di Kampung Nusa, Kabupaten Aceh Besar. Hijrah mengembangkan konsep ekowisata sambil mengajak warga setempat untuk ikut berperan. Melalui program ini, peluang usaha masyarakat pun jadi lebih terbuka.

“Alhamdulillah, kami bisa bangkit dan mengembangkan desa kami lewat seni,” kata Mauliza Fajriana, salah satu warga Kampung Nusa.

Meski terbilang sukses, berbagai usaha Hijrah tidak langsung disetujui orangtuanya. Sebelumnya mereka berharap pria yang pernah menjadi ‘Agam Aceh’ ini akan bekerja sebagai pegawai negeri sipil.

Hijrah Saputra. (Lentera Indonesia/Anggi Ramadhan)

Tapi Hijrah membuktikan, kalau anak muda bisa berkontribusi bagi negara dan daerahnya dengan cara lain yang mereka sukai. Perubahan kecil yang dimulai dari diri sendiri, dapat membawa perubahan besar yang bermanfaat bagi sekitar.

“Untuk mengembangkan kota tidak harus dengan berada di kantoran. Tapi dengan membuat usaha kreatif, unik itu juga bisa membantu pengembangan kota,” kata Hijrah. 

“Kalau sudah kerja atau punya ide, jalanin aja. Tanpa harus mikir bakal gagal atau bakal jalan enggak, yang penting semangat.”

LENTERA INDONESIA NET | ANNISA PRATIWI

Sumber : https://netz.id/news/2017/09/10/00316/1016070917/hijrah-saputra-anak-muda-ikut-bangkitkan-aceh-usai-tsunami

Belajar Ekonomi Kreatif di Boston

Boston

HIJRAH SAPUTRA, pemilik Piyoh Design dan founder The-Leader.id, terpilih ikut Program The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Profesional Fellows Economic Empowerment Fall 2017 mewakili Indonesia, melaporkan dari Boston, Amerika Serikat

SAYA berasal dari Sabang, ingin berbagi cerita tentang program yang sedang saya ikuti di Amerika Serikat (AS) sejak 10 Oktober-16 November 2017.

Program YSEALI Fully Funded (bebas biaya) ini merupakan inisiatif dari Presiden Amerika Serikat ke-44, Barack Obama yang ditujukan untuk para calon pemimpin muda di ASEAN. Tujuannya untuk mengasah kepemimpinan para profesional muda yang menekuni bidangnya, terutama di bidang ekonomi. Program ini juga dimaksudkan untuk memperkuat pemahaman antara negara ASEAN dengan Amerika, membuka peluang kerja sama dengan negara-negara lain, karena program ini sudah memiliki jejaring anak muda di seluruh dunia.Kami dipilih mewakili sepuluh negara ASEAN setelah melalui proses seleksi berkas dan wawancara. Setelah melewati seleksi sekitar 300 orang, sebanyak 31 fellows (penerima beasiswa) dari seluruh negara ASEAN terpilih untuk mengikuti program YSEALI Professional Fellow 2017 ini di AS.

Dari Indonesia, terpilih enam peserta, yaitu saya dari Aceh, Annisa Hasanah (Bogor), Muhammad Romdhoni (Bandung), Vidya Spay (Solo), Nazarudin (Makassar), dan Tisha Rumbewas (Jayapura).

Saya dikategorikan sebagai wirausaha muda kreatif dan seorang social entrepreneur dari kota paling barat Indonesia, Kota Sabang. Saya membuat desain dan produk kreatif untuk membantu perkembangan sektor pariwisata di Sabang, Banda Aceh, dan Provinsi Aceh secara umum. Saya juga termasuk ke dalam daftar 32 anak muda Indonesia yang memiliki pengaruh positif versi UNFPA tahun 2015.

Selain itu, saya memiliki organisasi kepemudaan yang bergerak untuk membantu anak-anak muda mengembangkan potensi dirinya dan mewujudkan mimpinya dengan program Dreammaker dan Dreammaker Institute. Saya juga aktif menulis dan membuat komunitas menulis positif tentang Aceh di Gam Inong Blogger.

Selaku fellow yang terpilih untuk menghabiskan waktu enam minggu di AS, kami disebar ke seluruh penjuru AS, mendapatkan satu worksite sebagai tempat belajar selama empat pekan, dan dua pekan lagi di Washington DC untuk orientasi dan kongres dengan seluruh peserta yang berasal dari berbagai belahan dunia.

Artists For Humanity Boston

American Council International Education selaku organizer dari Program YSEALI Professional Fellow menempatkan saya di Artists For Humanity, Boston, Massachusetts, AS. Salah satu perusahaan wirausaha kreatif sosial yang membantu anak-anak muda kreatif, terutama anak-anak sekolah tingkat atas di Boston, untuk terus berkarya dan membantu pendidikan mereka.

Selain itu, seluruh fellow tinggal dengan host family, orang AS, hal ini bertujuan untuk merasakan kehidupan masyarakat Amerika yang sesungguhnya dan juga bertukar kebudayaan antara negara ASEAN dengan Amerika Serikat.

Program ini memiliki konsep experience based learning, sehingga seluruh fellow harus berinisiatif tinggi dan aktif selama proses belajar yang nantinya akan berguna untuk melanjutkan pengembangan program yang sudah mereka jalankan di negara asal.

Selain mempelajari tentang ekonomi kreatif dan bisnis sosial, saya juga merasakan langsung tinggal dengan orang asli Amerika. Saya sangat berharap agar bisa memperkenalkan Sabang, Aceh, dan Indonesia kepada orang Amerika. Saya pikir, inilah kesempatan yang luar biasa bagi saya karena banyak sekali rumor jelek yang beredar tentang Aceh dan Indonesia, jadi ini kesempatan untuk menjelaskan dan memperkenalkan langsung kepada orang di Amerika bahwa kita ada dan punya potensi wisata yang bisa jadi pilihan untuk mereka kunjungi.

Saya juga berharap nantinya akan terbuka banyak kesempatan bagi anak-anak muda Aceh untuk belajar dan bekerja sama dengan Amerika Serikat. Semoga menjadi inspirasi dan motivasi bagi anak-anak muda Aceh dan Indonesia. Khusus bagi yang mau ikutan program ini tahun depan sudah dibuka kesempatannya hingga bulan ini. Silakan dicoba.

Sumber : http://aceh.tribunnews.com/2017/11/11/belajar-ekonomi-kreatif-di-boston

Volunteer Hours at Rosie's Place, Boston

Hi my name is Hijrah Saputra, from Aceh, Indonesia. I work as graphic designer at Piyoh Design and creative leader at The Leader that create creative program for children and youth in Aceh, Indonesia. I am a participant of the Professional Fellows Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by American Councils for International Education.

The Professional Fellows Program brings emerging leaders in the fields of legislative process and governance; civic engagement; NGO management; economic empowerment and entrepreneurship; and journalism from around the world to the United States for intensive fellowships designed to broaden their professional expertise. Participants spend approximately one month in the United States, during which they receive hands-on exposure to national legislative offices, state legislatures, local government offices, businesses, and non-profit organizations through carefully designed full-time fellowships.

I volunteered at  Rosie’s place. Rosie's Place was founded in 1974 as the first women’s shelter in the United States. Their mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives.

I worked in a dinning room to serve meals for about a hundred of homeless women around Boston. I worked on Friday November 3^rd 2017 with another volunteers from Harvard and Boston University students, They are Cester, Kim, Alexa, and also another YSEALI Fellows, Seng Thong from Laos. It started at 10.30PM till 2.00AM. 

I and Seng prepare for the Bread and soup

I challenged myself into something I never thought that wasn’t for me, Served the homeless women and worked with a new person from another place randomly. Exciting! It’s an unforgettable moment in my life.

I definitely would recommend to youth to do the volunteer work, specially people who likes to helps the other. Life works in mysterious ways, Volunteer work think of as an exchange. The favors people has done for you in life, you are just returning it to a different activities. Everyone needs support or help at least one point of their life, might not be now but someday. So while you have the opportunity to give the help, might as well do it because tomorrow it might be you who is in need of that help.

My Self, Cester and Seng Thong

Thank for YSEALI and Rosie’s place for giving me unforgettable moment in Boston.

Campus Trip at Harvard University

Inside Widener Library Harvard

Visiting Harvard University is one of the things that should not be missed if we come to Massachussetts. Famous as one of the best campuses in the United States even in the world. Who does not know Harvard University, this college has scored a fine scholar.

Harvard almost always perched on top of the world's top university rankings and included the oldest campus in America. The location itself is actually located in Cambridge, but because it is adjacent to downtown Boston, so more often known as one campus in Boston.

The campus was pioneered in 1636 by nine students and a lecturer named Jhon Harvard of Charleston. A priest who donated his library and land. Originally named College at Newtowne, but in 1638 it was changed to Harvard College and in 1780 was changed to Harvard University.

There are now approximately 21,225 workers and an area of ​​85 hectares, much of it derived from donations from students who used to study or grant from their families. This shows how they fully support the development of education here.

The campus is also supported by sophisticated and modern lecture practice tools, students are also given the freedom to do research. Harvard also accepts students from disadvantaged families and waives fees. Harvard is famous for its red brick or Crimson with its motto Veritas, derived from Latin meaning truth. Because it is full of old buildings and interesting history, there is always a tour package offer to get around the campus, we just pay $ 12 to follow the package. His own schedule every half hour, from 10:00 to 16:30 local time.

Harvard University has nine renowned faculty, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Bussiness School, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard School of Public Health and Kennedy School of Government. And all these faculties were established since the 19th century.

I live in Cambridge, just 15-20 minutes walk to Harvard University and almost every day through it, because it is included in the route to the office. But this time I got a valuable opportunity to tour Harvard accompanied by Harvard students from Indonesia. Interesting because I can go to some places that are only special can be entered by students and I got a tour complete for free, hehe.

There are some interesting places that I visited at Harvard University through a tour package at Harvard namely:

Statue of John Harvard

John Harvard's statue becomes a favorite location for photos, and there are myths that circulate if you can photograph and hold the tip of his gold-colored shoes, then our children will be able to study there.

Johnston Gate 

Harvard has 26 large and small gates that surround it. Johnston Gate is in the middle, according to the myth should only be passed twice, if more than that it will make students in DO. The name itself is taken from the name of a student Samuel Johnston who donated 10,000 dollars for the construction of the gate.

Harry Elkin Widener Library

Widener Library, this library is the world's second largest after the US Congress library. The name of this library is taken from the name of a graduate student from Harvard and donated funds for library development. His funding was given by his family because Harry himself died as one of the victims of the Titanic Ship in 1912.

The library consists of five floors above the ground and four floors underground. Having a collection of print books reaching 15 million titles, digital books reach 18 million titles and the number of photos there are 8 million pieces. Super complete! Interestingly students can apply for a title or type of book they want to read but it is not in the library and will be searched.

Harvard Art Museum

The museum contains works of art created by humans from ancient times from 4000 years BC to modern from several countries. Starting from Asia, Middle East, Rome, Greece and many more, so we know the development of artwork in the world.

Harvard Law School

One of the faculty that many great people target and produce many great people in the world, one of them is President Obama. Naturally if this faculty became one of the best faculty. And when I visit the library on weekends there are still many students who study seriously there.

Interestingly yes, the tour packages around the campus of Harvard University including many devotees, including the first rank as a tourist attraction version of Tripadvisor. For some Harvard students who opened a tour around Harvard, which is opening opportunities for students interested in history.

They can also earn extra money for college needs, train them to tell stories, and increase their love for campus, I see some students who become guides look very enthusiastic about telling about this campus.

Concepts like this are interesting also if developed on campuses in Aceh.

* Program Participants The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows Economic Empowerment Fall 2017 represents Indonesia.

Finding Islam in Boston

Alhamdulillah, thankfully in the office of Artists for Humanity, tolerance for religion and worship is very good. I was allowed to perform the five times prayers and also get permission to perform the Friday prayers at the mosque.

After passing through several subway stations, I finally arrived at the Mosque of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) located in Roxburry, Massachusetts. Just seen a lot of veiled women passing around the station, it looks like this area many populated or visited Muslims in Boston and surrounding areas. 

ISBCC

ISBCC Mosque is not only a center of worship but also all types of activities related to Islam and the way of life of Muslims. There are several places that are accommodated and also activities that can be found here, such as schools, cafes, souvenir shops and provide a place for other activities such as, akikah also others.

When I arrived at the ISBCC Mosque, I saw incredible sights, ranging from buildings that contrast with the buildings around it. In addition to the chanting of the sacred verses and the azan, which is echoed with melodious by his bilal, becomes a special attraction, creating a longing for the atmosphere in Aceh as well as Indonesia. Yes if in Indonesia it feels very easy to find a mosque, here need more struggle to achieve it.

After I finished my ablutions and went into the room, I saw that there were so many pilgrims present at the time, all of them different from India, China, America, Arabia and even from Africa. And I see there are also many female pilgrims who attend the Friday prayers, not only on the first floor but also on the second floor.

with Mr. Shakh Yasir Fahmy

After the prayers I met Mr. Shakh Yasir Fahmy, who became the preacher and priest on that Friday. The man is friendly and his melodious Qur'an reading makes for calm. He said there were always people coming to ask or discuss. The mosque can also hold up to 1400 people and is always open to anyone who comes to know Islam and learn about Islam.

Aada is also a tour that can be attended either personally or in groups, everyday from 10:00 to 18:00 local time, but make an appointment first. At that time I saw a group that sat making circles to tour and ask questions with the ISBCC.

Tour

In addition there are many programs created specifically for anyone, for mothers, for converts and for youth, all of which are made to live the mosque, keeping in touch with its congregation and to increase faith.

Interesting huh? Hopefully this can be a good example for us, especially for the mosques in Aceh.

IMPACT Hub, Creative Coworking Space in Boston

With Lorraine (Supervisor Artists For Humanity) and Geoff Mamlet (Coordinator IMPACT Hub Boston)

The trend of the emergence of online workers, freelancers , warganet and many more, cultivate many places that support, one of which emerged coworking space . Coworking space is a workplace used to be shared, without having a place of its own, usually used by independent organizations or individuals.

This time I visited one of Boston coworking space , IMPACT Hub and met with Geoff Mamlet, IMPACT Hub Boston Coordinator. The Boston Impact Hub community consists of social businesses that address challenges both locally and globally.

IMPACT Hub location is just a few minutes' walk from Downtown Crossing. Members enjoy social platforms that connect with the social entrepreneurs around the Boston area, as well as hot meeting and work areas, flexible exhibition and event space, and thought-driven programming events. Their network is also part of a global network, there are approximately 50 networks in the world, so communities can connect that allow collaboration.

Impact Hubs brings together people from every profession, background, and culture with the imagination and drive to pursue an enterprising idea for the world. These are the people who see and do things differently and have an entrepreneurial spirit to create a sustainable impact.

IMPACT Hub Boston members have approximately 150 people comprising entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, activists, creative, investors, freelancers, and value-based mentors, working together, sharing ideas and resources. Members work at Impact Hub Boston, attend and produce events, conduct their own workshops, access guidance, find colleagues and partners, participate in social networking, build campaigns, launch companies, prototypes and test products, all from members, Impact Hub- host environment dedicated to speeding up all the ideas and ideas of its members.

Facilities at IMPACT Hub are complete, all to support the activities of its members, ranging from desks, shelves, printers, bathrooms, and even a kitchen for cooking. In addition there are several zones with different facilities, such as Creative Town for designers and creative workers, there is Branchfood for the innovation in the field of food and there is also room for space and call to Skype.

Members pay only 350 dollars per month or 40 dollars per day to get all the facilities and also get a variety of interesting offers from merchand who joined the IMPACT Hub network Boston and also Global.

Interesting huh? So curious too, he said IMPACT Hub was just opened in Jakarta, if Aceh made like this, it seems to be many creative ideas will develop, how do you think?

Every Tuesday there is a meal together that is held by the IMPACT Hub management, so can familiarize the members and can also discuss.