Photo: GMM encourages local children to attend school through a road improvement program
SOUTH HALMAHERA – Nurul Hasan High in Sekely Village is one of the many secondary institutions operating from South West Gane Subdistrict in South Halmahera, North Maluku. But public records report its population at as few as 89 students, managed by five teachers.
Unlike its urban counterparts, the school is not served with proper road access. Asphalt pathways are few and far between, leaving kids with no choice but to pass gravel-packed lanes on foot or on bike.
Dusty and dirty in dry weather, these roads can turn slippery during periods of heavy rainfall. Repairs are needed to ensure students — and also teachers — arrive safely at class.
But road improvements are no easy work. Heavy equipment is integral to speed up the process. Soon, the Sekelys turned to local stakeholders, including private firms in the Gane area, for machinery donations.
“We try to reach out to companies, like Gelora Mandiri Membangun (GMM), for this school road access project. We’re lucky our call was reciprocated,” said Sekely local Zainuddin.
Under the Corporate Social Contribution (CSC) program, the firm delivered an excavator, a bulldozer, a motor grader, a tandem roller, and two dump trucks to the village.
Using these equipment, residents and GMM worked on a 190.51-meter road widening project and a 1,281-meter road filling work for 15 days. Both projects represent the company’s contribution to easing student travel, said Mahdi M. Nur, GMM’s PR Officer.
“Our aid is meant to upgrade existing routes and build new ones that ease mobility for students while ensuring safety and comfort for all locals.”
Photo: Both company and Sekely community members team up on a road widening project spanning 190.51 meters and road filling work spanning 1,281 meters
Enhancing road infrastructure is part of GMM’s efforts to build relations with the village and participate in local road improvements and maintenance.
In fact, GMM’s CSC programs focus on infrastructure development to boost socio-economic recovery post the 2019 earthquake. “Our flagship initiative involves repairing public facilities in terms of roads and places of worship,” said Mahdi M. Nur.
Multiple road projects have been completed in the Gane area, allowing people in nearby villages like Inner Gane to gather with their relatives in Outer Gane, Yomen, Kurunga, Sekely, and other settlements. (*)
Source: RRI.co.id
