Perum Jamkrindo has equipped 20 selected students from the Bangka Belitung Province to participate in the "Siswa Mengenal Nusantara 2017" (Students Introduce the Archipelago) program, aimed at promoting the region's tourism potential, cultural arts, and natural resources at the national level.
"This Siswa Mengenal Nusantara program is part of the 'BUMN Hadir Untuk Negeri' series of activities in celebration of the 72nd Independence Day on August 17, 2017," said Wakhyu Hidayatullah, Head of the Palembang Branch of Perum Jamkrindo, after giving a briefing and motivation to the participants in Pangkalpinang on Monday, July 10, 2017.
He mentioned that the "Siswa Mengenal Nusantara" program was designed to foster a sense of love and pride among students as citizens of Indonesia. The representatives from Bangka Belitung Province had the opportunity to introduce their local tourism potential, cultural arts, history, cuisine, and distinctive features to students from other regions.
"Through this program, we hope that the younger generation will dare to dream and aspire to explore the archipelago," he said. He also hoped that the activity would instill pride in being part of a nation with such diversity and richness, through the tangible understanding gained via information exchange and student experiences.
"We hope that this program will run smoothly and successfully until its peak activity on August 17, 2017," he added.
Engkus Kuswenda, Secretary of the Tourism Department of the Bangka Belitung Islands, appreciated the "Siswa Mengenal Nusantara" program organized by Perum Jamkrindo.
"We hope that the participants of the Siswa Mengenal Nusantara program can provide information about tourism sites, cultural arts, and local cuisine," he said. He emphasized that this initiative could help showcase the tourism potential of the region on a national and international level, potentially increasing the number of visitors to the area.
"We support this Ministry of BUMN program because it positively impacts the development of tourism and increases both domestic and foreign tourist visits to this 'Laskar Pelangi' region," he stated.
Saiful Bahri, Head of the Curriculum and Assessment Section at the Vocational High School Education Department of the Bangka Belitung Islands, said that this program was excellent and could help underprivileged students excel by allowing them to experience education, culture, and tourism from other regions.
"Through this, they can exchange knowledge and information about the arts, culture, social life, and economy, which will strengthen the sense of brotherhood and national unity," he added.
"Getting to know one another will strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, and the values of unity will emerge among the nation's children," he concluded. (Source: Antara Babel)