KARIMUN -- Indonesia has thousands of islands scattered in various regions, transportation facilities are important for the connectivity of the archipelagic community in meeting their needs, including for the sake of education.
On Stunak Island, for example, the island, which is located in the Selat Gelam sub-district, Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province, requires a pompong or small boat for transportation to get educational services. Because there are no schools on the island.
Students who have to cross to the Beliah Strait Pier in Gemuruh Village, Kundur Barat District to be able to go to school. The presence of a safe and comfortable pompong is necessary to ensure that they can arrive at school on time.
For this reason, in 2020 PT Timah Tbk handed over a pompong unit to this island to facilitate student transportation. More than 50 students from various levels, elementary, middle and high school use this pompong to go to school.
In addition to taking students to school, the pompong is used to assist residents with transportation facilities in meeting their daily needs.
The pompong is also damaged due to age, some parts leak which sometimes causes students to get wet when they are on the pompong. Do not remain silent, in 2022 PT Timah Tbk again helps repair the pompong so that children can go to school safely, comfortably and properly.
The pompong driver, Kasmiran, said that the pompong he was driving had some damage, such as leaking because it had rotted with age. It also makes passengers unsafe.
"The condition of the pompong for delivering and picking up children is not good because it has been a long time. There is a leak. We convey it to PT Timah Tbk for assistance in repairing it. Thank God the company is very responsive to this because it concerns the safety of students," said Kasmiran.
After it was repaired, Kasmiran said that children no longer have to worry about crossing to school. Moreover, the new school year will begin with pompong activities and it will be busy again to take and pick up children to go to school.
"After PT Timah Tbk repaired the pompong with fiber glass, the pompong will be safer and also resistant and will not leak easily. This is very safe and suitable for children, they don't have to worry anymore. Soon the school year will start and the pompong will be ready used," he said.
One of the elementary school students, Randy (10) who usually uses a pompong, was very happy that the pompong they were traveling in was no longer leaking. Randy said that they really needed this pompong to cross in order to arrive at school on time.
"Yesterday when the pompong had a leak, my friends and I were very afraid to go up. Plus when it rains the water in the pompong becomes more and more. If we are not careful our shoes get wet too. If our shoes are wet while studying we become uncomfortable," he said.
He said, after PT Timah Tbk had repaired their pompong, they were like new again and would be more comfortable to go to school.
Meanwhile, Head of Stunak Fisherman, Afid, appreciated PT Timah Tbk for its concern for the people of Stunak Island, the majority of whom are fishermen.
"With the help of pompong for school children from PT Timah Tbk, we fishermen on Stunak Island have hope that our children can get a better education than their parents," he said.
In the future, he hopes that by getting a good education their children will have the provisions to be able to face life's challenges. In this way, they can improve their economic standard of living.
"So far, PT Timah has been very consistent in paying attention to the people of Stunak Island, many of the people of Stunak Island have felt the presence of PT Timah here," he said.
