Visitation and Exploration of Cooperation between Gempera Team and Teachers of SMK Al Istiqomah Suralaga

After a long absence, Gempera Director Dr. Saipul Hamdi met one of the teachers of SMK Al-Istiqomah at the haul of Mr. TGH. Mustamiuddin Ibrahim held at the Kekalik mosque, Mataram on February 5, 2023. This meeting then became the beginning of a verbal invitation from SMK Al Istiqomah to come to review, explore cooperation and discuss many things. Gempera team then visited Ponpes Al Istiqomah which was received by H. Junaidi, S.E, who is also the teacher and founder of the vocational school.

The meeting with H. Junaidi was more informal as he was both family and a friend from college in Yogyakarta. He shared many of the internal problems faced in the development of the SMK. Junaidi stated that I was steering a sinking ship because of the internal conflicts of the madrasah administrators. The madrasah administrators are still trapped in the conflict between the NW and NWDI organizations. This factor has hindered the development of the SMK, including the lack of students in this SMK, which is only 50 students.

Junaidi also shared the lack of facilities owned by the vocational school, as well as the Tsanawiyah and Aliyah madrasas within the Al Istiqomah Islamic boarding school. He hopes that the government will pay more attention. Gempera as a non-profit foundation engaged in mentoring, research and training will build cooperation in the future. Gempera will not only assist in facilitating communication and access with government institutions, but will also prepare personnel to strengthen human resources in the Ponpes environment.

In addition to SMK Al-Istiqomah teachers who attended the meeting, Unwaful Falah Ponpes teacher Abdul Aziz, M.Pd. Aziz also had the same complaint as the SMK Al Istiqomah teacher. Ponpes Unwanul Falah has a slightly different dynamic, they do not lack students, instead they lack rooms for learning. Therefore, he hopes that Gempera can facilitate access to the government and also help strengthen human resources in the future.