SurveyMETER has been carrying out mentoring programs for the elderly in Watugedug Hamlet, Guwosari Village, Pajangan, Bantul since 2014. Initiated by cadres of elderly assistants currently consisting of 8 women, various activities have been carried out independently such as elderly gymnastics, homecare, gifts for the bedridden, self-financed posyandu to carry out activities, additional food subsidy, data recording related to elderly measurement results, blood pressure measurement, cadre counseling, regeneration, and so on. Unfortunately, there was no involvement of the younger generation during the activity.

Coming in 2017, a new breakthrough was initiated by SurveyMETER to encourage the involvement of the younger generation in assisting the elderly in the hamlet, namely through the Scholarship Program for Vocational High School (SMK) students from Watugedug hamlet who are committed to being actively involved in retirement activities there. The scholarships are given as long as they study for 3 years. It is expected that in the future, they could become successors and represent the young generation of the hamlet to be actively involved in elderly programs.

The selection of prospective scholarship awardees commenced with an administrative selection (only students who were interested in continuing their studies at a vocational senior high school / SMK) carried out in November 2016. Furthermore, on August 17, 2017, the 7 prospective awardees who had actually registered at the SMK were selected naturally to be involved in the elderly gymnastics’ events. It was in series with the commemoration of the 72nd Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia in Watugedug hamlet.

They were introduced to some simple tasks of activities such as assisting the elderly posyandu cadres in directing the elderly gymnastics participants, picking up (if necessary) for the elderly who live far away, helping with health checks (blood pressure), preparing additional food, and so on.

And above all the introduction stages, the most important thing is the effort to motivate them to be active in productive activities (organizations) while caring for the surrounding environment. (TPA/JF)