September 23, 2014 edition

THE cool mountain air grew cold with the rain in Salimpek village, Solok regency, West Sumatra. But the weather did not keep residents from congregating around a small plot of land, about the size of a volleyball court, next to wet onion fields in late August. They were too curious to witness something they had never seen: a fight between a local silek master-silek is Minang for silat, which refers to the martial arts indigenous to Indonesia and Malaysia-and a tall, large European man.
Yes, on that day, Sasaran Kincia Tuo, a silat school at 1,455 meters above sea level, was visited by seven European guests who came to test their martial arts skills. In the Minang language, sasaran means 'a place for martial arts training', and kincia tuo 'old mill'. The foreigners were participants in the 2014 Minangkabau Silek Camp, held from August 20-28. Beginning in Talang Babungo village, some 10 kilometers away from Salimpek, these masters from abroad set about learning some new moves and burnishing their old ones.

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More Outreach articles in other editions

September 16, 2014 edition

Bergita Apolinaria Seonum dreamed of becoming a teacher. Now she studies to enter the profession at the University of Flores. Her older brother, Gregorius Sheon Kaja, is also enrolled there.
Tuition is not cheap. One semester can cost Rp10 million, and Gregorius is in his 9th. Their father, Vinsensius, a teacher, does not earn much from his job. "If relied only on my salary, it would be hard to pay," he said.

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September 9, 2014 edition

Giving Acehnese Women a Voice
Banda Aceh has set up a special forum for women to give them a place in development planning. That the mayor is a female has helped counter male opposition to the program.

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January 1, 1970 edition

People often think the Karang Rejo integrated health post (puskesmas) on Jalan Yos Sudarso in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, is a hospital. The three-storey building stands higher than the surrounding houses. A row of windows of in-patient care rooms can be seen from the outside. Arriving patients take a number and are directed to the related polyclinic, where they wait to be called. "It's like the system at a bank," health worker Junaidi told Tempo.
The comfortable facility and well-managed service make it a place that HIV/AIDS patients feel comfortable going to. There is Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) unit, a consultation clinic and free HIV/AIDS testing services, all of which are open 24 hours a day. The laboratory for blood testing is situated near the counselor's office. "To protect people's privacy," said Junaidi, 36, a VCT counselor.

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August 26, 2014 edition

Elephant Doctors
A number of veterinarians provide free treatment for elephants in the settlement. They have also trained around 150 mahouts in Sumatra to give medical treatment to these giant beasts-which are under protection of the law.

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August 19, 2014 edition

Nanda Feriana stood up and lifted the bowl to eye level. Stepping back and forth, she murmured the counts of her steps. That afternoon she was demonstrating the ranup lapuan dance on the porch of her house in Lhokseumawe, Aceh.
Nanda, 20, practiced diligently that week. This November, she is set to perform the dance at the 2014 Indonesian Youth Conference. "I will participate in the conference at the national level for the first time," said Nanda, a communications major at Lhokseumawe's Malikussaleh University.

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August 12, 2014 edition

Green Wall in a Barren School
A junior high school in a dry area of Southeast Sulawesi received a prestigious environment award. Its students and teachers helped other schools clean up their acts.

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