FTUI students who are part of the Beban Berganda community commemorated the 28th National Elderly Day, which falls on May 29th each year. The event was held on Tuesday (28/05) at i-CELL, FTUI.
Beban Berganda serves as a platform to sharpen creativity and productivity and provide insights into people with burdens. This community consists of students from various faculties, such as the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Humanities. Beban Berganda actively discusses social issues through Instagram under the account name @beban.berganda.
Beban Berganda invited three elderly speakers to share their stories in the sharing session. The speakers for this event were Dr. Ernanti Wahyurini, M.Sc., an elderly expert; Mudjiati, SH, Chairperson of the Mitra Daya Setara (MDS) Foundation; and Dr. Wahyu Hartomo, M.Sc., Deputy Secretary General of the National Leadership Council of the Indonesian Pensioners Association. Additionally, several other elderly individuals also attended the event as participants.
Elderly individuals are those aged 60 and above. The latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the elderly population in Indonesia reaches 11.75%. The largest elderly population is found in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java.
“The issues faced by the elderly are quite complex. Many elderly individuals have low education levels, although the illiteracy rate is around 80%. Economically, the elderly also have poor finances. Some elderly individuals are still working but are paid low wages and work more than 40 hours per week. Not to mention the issues of mental and physical health that need to be maintained,” said Dr. Ernanti regarding the problems faced by the elderly.
Meanwhile, Dr. Wahyu stated, “Elderly individuals should be appreciated for their existence so they do not become a burden to their families. The way to appreciate them is by encouraging them even though in the future we may engage in social activities rather than generating (money). Young people can also advocate for existing elderly institutions, collaborate with local governments that have real programs for the elderly, and provide education and training for the elderly according to their interests and talents.”
“Elderly individuals like to gather because they can build old memories. We are happy when we meet friends and have conversations. We don’t feel bored,” said Mudjiati.
On a separate occasion, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU., the Dean of FTUI, expressed, “I am very proud that FTUI students can synergize with students from other universities to foster the social spirit, especially in commemorating National Elderly Day. I hope Beban Berganda can inspire other young generations to care more about the environment around them.”
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
