Pada awal tahun 2023, Pijar dilibatkan oleh tim PKM STT SAPPI mengunjungi alumni pelatihan PKM online tahun 2019 di pegunungan Meratus Kalimantan Selatan untuk memberikan pengembangan kapasitas melalui pelatihan pemberdayaan masyarakat. Selama satu minggu, semua tim YMPT dari beberapa desa berkumpul di base camp untuk mengikuti pelatihan. Yayasan YMPT fokus untuk membantu kebutuhan masyarakat melalui kegiatan pendidikan PAUD, TK dan SD. Dari pelatihan yang dilakukan mereka mendapatkan beberapa pencerahan diantaranya; bagaimana cara mengajar yang partisipatif yang bisa dipakai untuk mengajar anak-anak, menemukan banyak potensi dan kebutuhan di masyarakat melalui praktek pengumpulan informasi dan bagaimana melibatkan masyarakat untuk mendukung program pendidikan yang terpadu. Di akhir pelatihan para peserta membagikan bahwa mereka sudah terbiasa mengikuti banyak pelatihan-pelatihan. Tetapi pelatihan kali ini menurut mereka berbeda, baik dalam cara penyampaian serta materi yang dibagikan sederhana dan sangat memungkinkan diaplikasikan di wilayah pedalaman yang serba terbatas. Kami mengapresiasi untuk semangat dan kebersamaan tiga lembaga untuk bekerja sama sehingga pelatihan bisa berjalan baik untuk membawa perubahan yang terpadu bagi masyarakat di sana.
Community Empowerment Training in Meratus Mountains South Kalimantan
In early 2023, Pijar was involved by the PKM STT SAPPI team to visit PKM Training (online 2019) alumni in the Meratus mountains, South Kalimantan to provide capacity development through community empowerment training. For one week, all YMPT teams from several villages gathered at the base camp to be able to take part in TOT 1. The YMPT Foundation focuses on helping develop education in mountainous areas through services in early childhood education, Kindergarten and Elementary School. From the training, they received several insights including; how to use participatory teaching methods to teach children, discover the many potentials and needs in society through information-gathering practices and how to involve the community to support educational programs. At the end of the training, the participants shared that they were used to attending many trainings. However, according to them, the training this time was different, both in the method of delivery and the material distributed, which was simple and very likely to be applied in limited, remote areas. We appreciate the enthusiasm and togetherness of the three institutions for working together so that the training can run well to bring integrated change to society.