Her name is Irul. She has firm figure. She seems bigger than her friends. After morning "I am an extraordinary Kid" exercise with 100 other kids and teachers, Irul participate in waste clean-up activity at the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) Miftahul Huda School, Jakenan Pati, to celebrate National Child Day together with Yayasan Yekti Angudi Piadeging Hukum Indonesia (YAPHI), on Thursday, 24/7.
The National Child Day is on 23rd July and reminds us that children have the right to live a healthy, creative and religious life. This is not just manifesting in the spiritual aspect such as doing prayer or being polite, but also in their attention for the environment. By maintaining cleanliness, reducing waste, and nurturing nature, children show responsibility and appreciation for life. Maintaining cleanliness, such as cleanliness in classes, cleaning the floor, keeping the tables neat and tidy, and put rubbish in rubbish bins are examples of simple things that would show children’s care for their environment.
It is also important to teach children to distinguish organic and non-organic waste for recycling, so that children can be creative with separated waste. This helps children to appreciate nature and environment, as part of their character building. By maintaining the school clean, particularly within MI Miftahul Huda, students are critical in creating a healthy environment.
It is important for children to get used to healthy life style and to train discipline and responsibility at an early age. Caring for the environment and for self-cleanliness will prepare children to face the Gold Indonesia 2025.
Berkegiatan dengan Senang Hati dan Rasa Tanggung Jawab
It is not just Irul who show respect for the school environment. All her friends are also enthusiastic about it. They also want to have the activity on a regular basis, as routine agenda, as expressed by children in classes 5 and 6, which also include Ifa.
Ifa, who is good at answering questions posed by the facilitator, says that it takes 200 years for the plastic waste to break down. The question and answer proceeds after the exercise. The facilitator from Yayasan YAPHI explains with pictures how organic and non-organic waste are processed once they are in the soil. It is also important to explore issue regarding use of environmental friendly items that can last long and be sustainable.
It is time for Irul and Ifa, and other kids to have their lunch after the clean-up activity ends. They are happy to finally have rice, vegetables, chicken and banana to fill their empty stomach after the day’s hectic activities - exercise, discussion, and clean-up. Their food, wrapped in banana leaves, is a testament that children at the school are committed that day to practice environmental protection by reducing disposable plastics.
So, before the call for prayer is announced via a loud speaker at school, all National Child Day activities at MI Miftahul Huda bersama Yayasan YAPHI should end. (Renny Talitha/Astuti)
