Celebrating Indonesian Independence day, GOLD-ISMIA and Primary Schools created a Story Telling Competition around ASGM Topics
Indonesia - October 2020
GOLD-ISMIA in collaboration with District Government Agencies in 6 project locations celebrated Indonesian Independence Day through storytelling videos online competitions for primary school students located in six districts in Indonesia. Children are an inseparable part of Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) because they are very susceptible to mercury exposure from their environment. A study from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that there is a correlation between mercury level and some physical and sensory function reduction in the children in ASGM communities.
Besides that, many of the Indonesian miners come from the family tradition. The current ASGM sector becomes sources of income for approximately 300,000 to 500,000 people in Indonesia and most of them rely on mercury processing. Involving children in their early years may nurture the future of Indonesian miners that are inspired to be free from mercury. Story from the children is potential not only to make
"Lomba Anak Indonesia Bercerita" with GOLD-ISMIA
Online video storytelling competition held in six GOLD-ISMIA project locations:
1. Singgigi Sub-district, Kuantan Singgigi District
2. Kokap Sub-district, Kulonprogo District
3. Obi Sub-district, Halmahera Selatan District
4. Dibembe Sub-district, Minahasa Utara District
5. East Sumalata Sub-district, North Gorontalo District
6. Sekotong Sub-district, West Lombok District
This competition serves four purposes:
- Invite the children to celebrate The 75th Indonesian Independence Day and ignite sportivity spirits all together through competition
- Increase literacy and storytelling interest for national and islamic primary school students
- Explore the children's perspective towards their surroundings, especially in correlation with Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM)
- The winner of the competition will be an environment ambassador in delivering the story about the danger of mercury to the locals
As part of the Planet Gold Indonesia program, GOLD-ISMIA has been visiting some primary schools in project locations to spread awareness about the danger of mercury through puppet shows and presentations. Storytelling competition is an effort to maintain this issue, especially among children in the project locations and to celebrate Indonesian Independence day at the same time.
To follow the competition, the children should send a video of them telling the story and choose one of the four topics: My Parents Profession, How I Play With My Friend, My Village is a Gold Village, My Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic. The topics are chosen to explore children's perspectives in correlation with ASGM issues, either direct or indirect. The children narrate the story in Indonesian with a maximum duration of 5 minutes. They can submit the video through the local committee or through WhatsApp.
Children who participated in the competition will receive several benefits. All of the participants will get a certificate and new normal kits, which consists of storybooks, stationeries, and toys. The winners will get storytelling training from professional storytellers, trophy, and gadget prizes, such as an android tablet with a year of internet data subscription, bicycle, and TV. Local winners will have opportunities to compete at the national level to win kids saving accounts in a bank with a total of nine million rupiahs.
The competition successfully gathered 91 submissions, with the national winner coming from Gorontalo Utara, Kuantan Senggigi, and Kulonprogo.
National Winner's Story Highlights:
First Winner: Azsyura Hairunisa Lalebo, SDN 9 Sumalata Timur, North Gorontalo.
Topic: My Village is a Gold Village
Azsyura unfolds the history of Hulawa Village in regard to its gold mining. She also mentioned that the current small scale gold mining in Hulawa village is continuing the gold mining in the colonial era, starting from the year of 1865, and the effect of the gold mining to the environment.
"Hulawa means gold in Gorontalo language. Besides the economic background, people's educational background also contributes to the reason why they resist continuing the job as gold miner despite its huge risks. However, the village people unfortunately are not aware that there are enormous hazards awaiting. Preserve nature so that it will protect us in return."
Second Winner: Hafizha Puteri, SDN 015 Sei Sirih, Kuantan Singgigi
Topic: My Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic
Hafizha's story creatively elaborates pantoum from the beginning to the end of her story. Corona is portrayed as a deceitful figure who lures the children. In the end Hafizha invites the children her age to maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid corona.
“It's really delicious for strawberries (How delightful a strawberry is)
Eaten on the throne (Especially if it is eaten on the throne)
Live healthy from today (Stay healthy from today)
And remember, there is corona! " (Beware, there is corona!)
Third Winner: Nova Narendra Khoiru Rasya, SD Muhammadiyah Menguri, Kulonprogo
Topic: How I Play With My Friend
Nova explains about a traditional local game called 'Lara Blara', a game that is played by 2 groups and uses coconut leaves. He shows not only how to play the game, but also describes how to create the properties from coconut leaves and bamboo.
“Tie 2 coconut leaves to a 1 meter-length-bamboo in three spots, distribute two bamboos evenly on rachis (stem), and one bamboo on the tip of the leaves. Provide an ample space on the bamboo in between the leaves so that you can hold it comfortably ”
He ends the story by motivating the audience to give their best effort to achieve their purpose.
"If we aim for the best result, then we should pursue it with our best efforts!"
This competition successfully captures the children's perspective in various ASGM aspects. Some participants creatively elaborate their story by showing their local identities through the traditional outfit, creating supporting properties and gestures to express and narrate the story, and choosing locations for the recordings. From the video submissions, it is clear that the children understand well about the mercury detrimental effects to their surroundings; and the effort to stop corona from spreading.
Due to the enthusiasm from the participants, GOLD-ISMIA plan to hold the competition at national scale for the year of 2021 to engage more children to grow the awareness about the ASGM sector. Watch the videos from the local and the national winners on GOLD-ISMIA youtube channel.
About GOLD ISMIA
GOLD ISMIA is The planetGOLD Indonesia project which is implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the National Agency for Technology Assessment and Application, and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).