Reported by Rizky Amelia, VDMS Alumna from Lambung Mangkurat University (UNLAM), Banjarmasin.

It is now the end of 2016. I flew back to 2013, to a year when some of VDMS Banjarmasin Alumni met up and proposed RR Banjarmasin. It is almost three years. Being consistent and walking on the same track for these three years are not that easy. Some people have changed, motivation is ups and downs, and time seems flying faster than before. To end this year, some things are incubated and summarized.

First, REGENERATION. Things are changed, so are the people. I think I got the key of our long sleep or slow walk: REGENERATION. I understand that Lambung Mangkurat University (recent changed abbreviation: ULM) is the only university in South Kalimantan that get a golden chance to get VDMS Scholarship and I understand that the students who study at ULM (and those who get VDMS scholarship) are not from Banjarmasin only. When they graduated from ULM, most of them cannot be active. We need REGENERATION. This first issue has been addressed by RR Banjarmasin by involving some grantees.

Second, who are we waiting for? As I once wrote in A2A Newsletter “IF MANY DOES NOT WORK, SOME MIGHT WORK”, I ask myself this question for thousands. We, RR Banjarmasin, has tried to run a few activities with a few alumni and grantees. Those activities were teaching at orphanage, VDMS Online Sharing about Scholarship on Whatsapp group, and English Club.

Third, which is the current issue now, is be consistent. We should have kept walking. Yet, some of us reported that we are busy. Indeed, time cannot be extended. Everybody has 24 hours and not more. We are now somewhere, separated by distance and activities. However, who are we waiting for? Smart people are not those who work alone for a group of people, rather smart people are those who can lead people to work together. We must work together, have a clear job description, and start walking hands to hands.

As a result of the third issue, we reviewed our 2016 activities:

1. VDMS Peduli Pendidikan by teaching at orphanage

VDMS Peduli Pendidikan by Teaching at Orphanage

2. VDMS grantees joined HARDIKNAS at ULM Bjm on May 5, 2016.

3. Meeting up on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 @Gedung Serba Guna ULM Bjm

4. Halal Bihalal on Sunday, August 21, 2016 @Taher Square Bjm

5. Environmental care action by joining I-radio Sapu Bersih event at Siring Pierre Tendean Banjarmasin on Sunday, August 28, 2016.

6. VDMS Alumni and Grantees gathering and fun walk by joining Ulang Tahun TNI on October 5, 2016

Join Ulang Tahun TNI

7. Meeting up and evaluation on Sunday, October 15, 2016 @Lapangan Murjani Banjarbaru.

As our commitment to the betterment of RR Banjarmasin, we planned the following activities in the near time and in 2017 ahead:

1. TOEFL Sharing. It is a monthly meeting and sharing for VDMS alumni and grantees. The alumni need it to enrich their English while the grantees need TOEFL as a requirement to take their bachelor certificate.
2. Sasirangan visit. Sasirangan is a fabric to which it is originally made in South Kalimantan. This activity helps VDMS alumni and grantees to get closer to our cultural knowledge and heritage.
3. T-SHIRT and STICKER of RR Banjarmasin. We are now ordering T-SHIRT for our activities in order to tighten our emotional feeling. We will also use the sticker to introduce VDMS to others.
4.  SMALL GROUPS. It is the idea that I once got from Big Bang in Surabaya. This is the most important plan hopefully leading to a better RR Banjarmasin. Small group is an effort of regeneration. There are now 15 grantees of VDMS. We, then formed three small groups and each group is responsible for thinking of a monthly activity. For example, group 1 thinks about activity in January, group 2 is in February, and so forth. The other groups who are not responsible to think about the event will join and support the activities. By having these small groups, hopefully it helps them to be more active and starts them to bond in VDMS family early since they become a grantee so that when they become alumni they will the moments and still keep in touch with VDMS and RR Banjarmasin. We will wait these groups “PROPOSED ACTIVITIES for 2017”.
5. Since it is hard to ask alumni to be involved, we provide an account to save VDMS alumni help in the form money, clothes, or books. Therefore, even though the alumni are far away, they still can join us to learn, share, and encourage.

A2A E – Newsletter Vol. 57| XI| 2016