On Sunday morning, May 29, 2022, the city of Singaraja is blowing moderately. This city, located in North Bali, now often rains, different from before, known as a rain shadow area; hot and dry becomes a part of the environment. Now that title has begun to be erased because clouds often cross the hills in the south, move to the north, then condense right in the city so that heavy rains often fall.

The city of Singaraja, which is not far from the beach, is no longer familiar with the long dry season, verdant plants, and neatly arranged streets that beautify its appearance. The city of Singaraja, which was once a small Sundanese province city, still looks dashing. There stands the Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (Undiksha), an extension of the broader mandate of the Institute of Teacher Training and Education Singaraja, one of the Institute of Teachers’ Education in Indonesia, which is now known as Undiksha, is actively participating in educating Indonesian citizens.

Undiksha has eight faculties, one postgraduate programme, which is the pride of North Bali, and the Postgraduate with 22 study programmes, one of which is the Master Programme in Science education, which was officially opened in 2009. After 13 years of existence, the Master Programme in Science Education is packing towards accreditation of International standard AQAS (Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programmes). AQAS is an international accreditation agency that assesses the quality standards of universities in the world based on European Higher Education Standards (EHEA).

Therefore, all components were prepared carefully, under the direction of the Rector, Prof. Dr. I Nyoman Jampel, M.Pd., through centralized technical guidance, as well as continuous assistance from the Postgraduate Director, Prof. Dr. I Gusti Putu Suharta, M.Sc., all parties are increasingly eager to make the celebration a success, and hope that the visitation around August-September 2022 will run smoothly. All parties hope the Master Programme in Science Education will be an international standard.

The process of maturation of students’ reasoning is not only in thinking (brain), but the balance between heart, brain, and hands is a priority. The philosophy of giving hands is easier to give resonance to the deepest heart so that wise character grows because thousands of words often do not create much change. Activities are also carefully designed as “social sensitivity activities.”

Precisely at 09.00 WITA, the group of Master Programme in Science Education Postgraduate Undiksha students carried out activities and social sensitivity at the Udyana Wiguna Children’s Orphanage on Jl Dewi Sartika No. 20 Singaraja Bali, which aims to build a sense of empathy, among students, a form of character that is expected to maintain the social framework of the country. This reflected the mandate of the 1945 Constitution article 34 about the presence of the state in the group of neglected citizens and the poor.

Forty students and lecturers arrived at the orphanage belonging to the Bali Provincial Social Service; it has 23 students, distributed to elementary, middle, and high school students, we were awaited in the management meeting room, and together with the caregiver, the head of the rehabilitation field, Mr. Ketut Mertayasa, and children in red shirts with hearts welcomed our arrival.

The event was opened, then a few words of welcome were given by the Head of the Children’s Rehabilitation Section, Mr. Ketut Mertayasa; he said several employees were on duty to take care of this orphanage. Which is part of the services of the social service of the province of Bali, the province of Bali has four places of guidance, namely

1. An orphanage for children in Singaraja,
2. An orphanage for youth skills development,
3. A nursing home called Panti Sosial Tresna Werdha Wana Seraya Denpasar, and
4. Tresna Werdha Jara Marapati Nursing Home, Kaliasem Village, Banjar District, Buleleng Regency.

Furthermore, Mr. Ketut Mertayasa stated that the goals of orphanages, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, namely: First to provide services based on the social work profession to neglected children by helping and guiding them towards reasonable personal development and having work skills, so that they become community members who can live decently and responsibly, both to themselves, their families and society.

Second, the organizers of social welfare services for children in orphanages form human beings with mature and dedicated personalities who have work skills that can support their lives and the lives of their families. From the description above, it can be concluded that the purpose of the orphanage is to provide services, guidance, and skills to foster children to become quality human beings.

Its function is also stated that the existence of an orphanage or child social welfare institution has the following functions: (1) Child social welfare service center. (2) The orphanage functions for recovery, protection, development, and prevention. (3) Center for data and information as well as consultation on child social welfare, and (4) Center for skills development (which is a supporting function). Orphanages are institutions that carry out family and community functions in the development and personality of adolescent children.

The event was opened with the presentation of caregivers and remarks by the Head of Study Program, Mrs. Dr. A. A Istri Agung Rai Sudiatmika, M.Pd and accompanied by the secretary of the Study Programme, Dr. I Nyoman Tika, on behalf of the Undiksha Postgraduate Director, officially opened the social sensitivity activity. The hope is that it can help students develop a sense of empathy and sympathy among students. After that, the activities were carried out in the hall with a science learning model with eccentric science concepts.

SCIENCE NYENTRIK

Science Nyentrik is an acronym for “menyenangkan” and “menarik” science learning, meaning that science learning is made to be fun and interesting. So far, science learning has been central to the west, but meaningful learning is affiliated with local conceptions, whether using local materials or touching everyday life.

With this quirky science approach, student activities are carried out by dividing three groups of orphanage children into three groups according to their level of education. Elementary, Middle, and High School.

Students also divide themselves to provide tutorials and assistance to each group. Elementary school students were given the activity of making ‘ice cream’ without a refrigerator utilizing freezing point depression (colligative properties), junior high school students were taught water filtration techniques with materials found in the surrounding environment, and high school students were given how to make eco-enzymes by utilizing household waste in the form of vegetable to make eco enzymes as ingredients for mopping and fertilizer).

In the early stages, the students explained to the children about the working procedure, and all the materials used came from the readily available everyday environment. Ice cream making is taught very interestingly from the ingredients needed and the process of making it into an ice cream product; then, they enjoy the product obtained together.

The exoenzyme and water purification techniques were designed using used mineral water bottles, and five liters of eco-enzyme were made; the results were deposited after three months of being stored by the orphanage children.

After the activity, students invited each group to discuss, provide information and provide some information, pick up stories from heart to heart, complain, tell stories, and have light discussions like fellow brothers, that they are not alone in the country. Many people love them, awakening the self-confidence and curiosity of the orphanage children.

TESTIMONIAL

After the activity, I tried to explore the background of some students and why they were placed in an orphanage. Gandi, a junior high school student from the Buleleng district, his father die of heart disease; then, he was then entrusted by his village friends to the social department orphanage. The Ministry of Social Affairs conducts recruitment activities by distributing them to districts in Bali.

He has three siblings; he is lucky to be able to continue his education with the government’s help; with the presence of students, he feels that he gets a fire of encouragement. It turns out that he now has many brothers, fathers, mothers, and brothers. Stories of interactions during social activities make students find a character value.

Moreover, this activity opens the eyes of the students’ hearts, and they believe that The best way to find ourselves is to immerse ourselves in the service of others. Not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great because his service determines greatness,

Applying wisdom values ??in the global era is undoubtedly very important in efforts to strengthen the nation’s character. The values ??of local wisdom concerning penance, compassion, and parenting, which are the heritage of the cultural intelligence of the Indonesian ancestor, will occupy an objective function in the movement of globalization. Regarding applying the value in question, cultural intelligence ‘cultural intelligence’ must be empowered.

SYMPATHY AND EMPATHY

The activity of social sensitivity is education more directed to the refinement of conscience. Therefore, social sensitivity becomes an individual has to identify and understand signs and contexts in social interaction.

Understanding sympathy is a feeling of care and concern for others and is accompanied by a deep enough personal involvement.

Another opinion says that the meaning of sympathy is a psychological process in which a person feels attracted to another person, either an individual or a group of people, because of an attitude, authority, appearance, or behavior in such a way.

While empathy, according to Hurlock (1999: 118), is a person’s ability to understand the feelings of others. Someone will also imagine and live himself in that position. Students’ activities at the orphanage invite them to feel as if they were in that position. With a feature of the emergence of a high sense of caring for others even though not with people you know

Cok Raka Wirama, when asked about his message and impressions, he said that this activity still refers to how well we understand other people’s feelings and thoughts and how familiar we are with general knowledge about social norms, as to beautify one’s character, especially Master Programme in Science Education students, almost all of them will become teachers.

Therefore, by applying the concept of social sensitivity, people can know the feelings of others. The basic principle of social sensitivity lies in a broad knowledge of social norms.

MOTIVATION TO LEARN NOT TO BE INSECURE

The committee asked me to impress and motivate students in the orphanage. I said that orphanage children do not need to be low self-esteem. You are not alone, and we are here to motivate each other and provide information. Regarding education, I quote some of Nelson Mandela’s words of wisdom, “Education is the deadliest weapon in the world because, with education, you can change the world. My message Great people do not come from ease, fun, and comfort. They are shaped through hardships, challenges, and tears. Moreover, Education is not just going to school and getting a degree. Nevertheless, it is also about expanding knowledge and absorbing life sciences.

Some residents of the orphanage ask, can we get scholarships for us here? Ask one of them. Of course, this question is fascinating; Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, as a place for children to continue their further studies, Undiksha received a government mandate to provide higher education with Bidikmisi scholarships. In addition to the Bidikmisi scholarship, there are Undiksha Rector’s scholarships, Bank Indonesia, Supersemar, and district government scholarships in Bali (eg, Bangli and Jembrana Regencies).

However, those who get the Bidikmisi scholarship are required to have a KIP (smart Indonesia card), indeed a smart Indonesia card; indeed, at the recommendation of the head of the hamlet where the student is from, the hamlet head is the initial selection of citizens who come from low-income families. The data is deposited into the village, and the village continues to the sub-district until later it is continued by the social service, then field validation is carried out to determine whether or not it is accurate or not capable.

For orphans whom the social service has fostered, it is easy to get Bidikmisi because it is easy for them to get KIP. After all, they come from low-income families. So the door to getting the scholarship is wide open.

Activities like this, indeed, must be considered that giving is truly noble, and of course, not only material but also the main thing is giving knowledge. Whether we realize it or not, we are all working in the presence of the All-Seeing One, so all receive the gold guaranteed by the Almighty because it is only their right, nothing more, nothing less. The work done in this spirit, the spirit of God’s constant presence is honest.

So, God will reward with His grace for work done sincerely and happily, not work done out of fear of superiors or forepersons. If our hearts are pure, the work will also be pure. Like the power of this river, always looking for those who are humble and devoted.

I remember Mother Theresa’s message, and It is not how much we give but how much love we put into a gift.