AIESEC UNDIP - The Story of Ania's Exchange Experience

AIESEC UNDIP - Ania in Indrokilo

AIESEC UNDIP- Indrokilo Experience

Indrokilo village is one of the few places in Central Jawa offering an eco-tourist experience, located only half an hour by car from Semarang. 

Last week (29th -30th August), a two-day eco-tourism camp was organized in Indrokilo by the student organization AIESEC, as part of  “The Green Light Army Project”, which focuses on environmental education. Participants included local high school and university students, as well as a couple of foreign interns, spending their summer on voluntary work in Semarang.

The two days that I spent in Indrokilo with my friends were truly an unforgettable experience. It was extremely interesting to see what a Javanese villager’s life is really like, not only enjoying the hospitality and traditional food, but also sharing daily activities - there was no room for boredom in between. The activities included cow milking, coffee harvesting and making, hill trekking, a traditional rebana show and an eco-lesson for local children.

Milking cows under the watchful eye of the farmers was not only lots of fun but also satisfaction –I had no idea that warm fresh milk with a pinch of ginger and sugar could be so delicious. The traditional rebana show was pleasant to the ear and to the eye, thanks to the traditional outfits of local musicians, but I think the bit that we enjoyed the most was a music lesson given to us at the end, when we could actually play the instruments!

The walk up the hill to reach the coffee harvesting site was amazing itself, full of beautiful sceneries. And at the top, tasting fresh coffee seeds and being taught how to harvest (not as easy as it seems!) was definitely worth the climb, especially since in the village we continued the coffee-making process, at the end of which we had delicious cups of fresh-made coffee. 

The best part of the weekend for me personally was however having the possibility to interact with the local children and show them what they can do to help preserve the beauty of the village and the environment that surrounds us. Seeing how willing they are to learn and how quickly they grasp the topic was very rewarding.  

I believe that the weekend at Indrokilo was enriching for both – the participants and the community, as it showed to all how important it is to preserve the local culture, as well as the environment around us. (Ania-Poland)

AIESEC UNDIP - All the participants of Cold Camp at Indrokilo Ungaran

About the author:

The author is a student from Poland, currently doing an internship in Semarang at local environmental NGO – Yayasan Bina Karta Lestari (BINTARI Foundation)

AIESECly Yours,