On Saturday, April 27, 2024, De Britto International Youth Camp participants arrived at Batik Girilaya Village enthusiastically for a day filled with activities. The theme for the third day was “To Listen and To Find,” which emphasized introducing social issues in Yogyakarta to the participants.
The activities on the third day were divided into two main parts held at three locations: Batik Girilaya Village, Bong Suwung, and Pingit. The first activity focused on introducing Yogyakarta’s culture to the participants. The participants were invited to learn about batik through a presentation at Kampung Batik Giriloyo to achieve this goal. They learned about batik, its history in Desa Girilaya, the process of batik-making, and different types of batik. The participants were then divided into groups for a hands-on batik practice session. During this opportunity, they engaged in the Nglowongi process, which involves waxing the front side of the cloth using a canting tool. The batik created was special because it used natural dyes derived from mahogany wood.
After completing all activities at Kampung Batik Girilaya, the participants were split into two groups to proceed to the next locations: Bong Suwung and Pingit. Bong Suwung is one of the areas in Yogyakarta associated with prostitution. Over time, Bong Suwung transitioned from the Chinese ethnic cemetery area to a space west of Tugu Yogyakarta Railway Station. The Bong Suwung community became a place for marginalized illegal activities.
On the other hand, the Social Pingit Village was established by one of the priests residing at Kolese Santo Ignatius (Kolsani) in Kotabaru during the 1950s. It was a response to the priest’s concern for homeless individuals. The place serves as an educational center, teaching basic life skills to help people survive and be accepted by society. Some participants were not surprised to see the situation because their respective countries also have similar social problems, but there were also participants who felt shocked because it was the first time for them to see the conditions of marginalized communities up close.
The participants in Bong Suwung were accompanied by mentors from the Realino Foundation, more precisely the Community Service division, who had been working at these locations since 2017. The day began with opening remarks by the host, followed by a warm welcome from Father Pieter Dole, S.J., to the children and residents. While at Bong Suwung, the participants started by getting to know the children. They taught simple foreign phrases for self-introductions and greetings. In addition to language lessons, the participants introduced the children to popular youth cultures from different countries, including showcasing popular dances.
At Pingit Social Village, the participants were accompanied by Kolsani brothers. The dynamics included performances from each country. Cambodia and Thailand presented their traditional dances—Khmer dance and a TikTok-inspired dance that’s viral in their country, respectively. Macau and the Philippines also contributed by singing regional songs.
The series of activities on the third day ended with dinner at La Vana restaurant. After dinner, participants closed the day with a reflection session.
The most memorable activity for the participants discussed in the reflection session was the visit to Bong Suwung and Pingit where the participants had an opportunity to see and work directly with marginalized people. The existence of these dynamics made them learn to be able to see the other side of community life, appreciate the differences in society be grateful for how their lives have been better and think about what solutions can be done to overcome problems in this community. After the reflection, the participants returned home and rested to prepare for tomorrow’s activities.