Farikha Amalia

Many students from the architecture and urban planning programs joined together for the early mapping initiatives of Solo Kota Kita. As the team grew bigger, many friends with different backgrounds became involved – from community activists to students from Solo neighborhoods. With the big intention to make a small contribution to our beloved city Solo, we started on our adventure.

Imagining that we are kids learning how to swim, I feared drowning – I was worried about being distracted from my university study when I joined the project. But I was drawn by the opportunity for new experiences and added Solo Kota Kita to my daily activities. And I had new experiences – I gained new knowledge from meeting people from foreign countries with different perspectives and backgrounds and I learned how to think critically as a citizen rather than just being a “good student.”

When a kid learns how to swim, he swallows water many times. That is what I felt and experienced since I faced many challenges. I had to become familiar with interviewing other people, seeing the details of neighborhoods from observation, and comprehending what is going on within neighborhoods. I had to go back again and again to the RTleaders to get deeper information about the neighborhoods.

When the kid has learned how to swim, he then starts to dive into the deep water. As I learned more about Solo, I wanted to dive deeper into knowledge that can be useful for my community. When the kid dives into the deeper sea, he will see much more beauty, such as the coral reefs, fish with many colors, blue water, and anemone. Or maybe he will see many bad things and destruction such as dead fish, dying coral reefs, and the damaging trawl.

That is the reality, and I am happy I joined this project. Solo Kota Kita benefits me and the people in my community.