Everything started 2 years ago (Spring 2015). I was in Indonesia then, lived for a first two months there, and was searching for what I found in the end. I have an interest and a soft spot for risky outdoors travel, and I was really glad when I met Olen. We were introduced by our mutual friends at a party, and we found common ground quickly, even despite the fact, that his English was really bad.
Olen is a member of the original Indonesian Mapala community, his base is located at STIKOSA Journalism University, Surabaya city, Java. That evening he invited me over, and that is how I’ve got into Mapala. %)
Imagine a small university campus with small dorms close to it. Their campus is just a few rooms for: programmers, journalists/actors and Mapala — students who like nature.
Around the clock those premises are used only by Mapala members. They live on university grounds, they are allowed, because they are unofficial rescue service of Indonesia. When some sort of distress happens (for example someone got lost in the jungle), a group of people goes from each university for the search at any time of day or night. Usually only the most experienced student-instructors participate, but sometimes all of the university participates.
I was amazed by what I saw at STICKOSA. In practice, it is an organization of young men and women, which are highly disciplined in collective things, but at the same time, lead an easy going and simple “rock’n’roll” style life. It is a BROTHERHOOD. Yes, they are poor, but they will always be all right, because they are together. And they always eat together.
Those are not some sort of nerdy students… those guys and gals, who in a case of a scuffle could gather people from several universities and solve each other’s problems, and if it is needed can gather people from the whole city. They are a force that has to be reckoned with… Every university has 100-150 active Mapala members, and as on organization they function since 1964, and there are millions of alumni.
Their education program runs in parallel to the main university major. Every prospective student chooses an extracurricular specialty, that they want to receive, and a lot of them choose Mapala. Why? Because it is excellent! To be on adventure, in movement, in extreme! Dive into caves, map them, learn alpinism, and compete in it with your peers, survive in the jungle after all! All of this, and lots more is part of normal syllabus, without finishing which, you can’t graduate from the university.
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