Indonesia is a country that is known as the tribal culture and more important is the natural beauty that is God give. One hidden paradise is in the province of West Sumatera, coinciding in the Mantawai Islands which lies about 100 km to the west coast of Sumatra Island consists of 40 islands big and small.
My departure to this island was not on my own plan but I had the opportunity of my lecturer to conduct a site survey as a form of land mapping for new rice field openings organized by the Provincial Government of west sumatera. I set out with a team from the city of Padang by fast boat, it took about 4 hours trip with ticket price of 250 thousand / person once departure. This is my experience on the Mentawai Island, the trully I want to convey related conditions of good and bad condition of this Mentawai Island. We will discuss one by one in my experience even though everyone's experience is different.
Okay we will discuss about the beauty of Mentawai Island first, for me Mentawai Island is a hidden paradise of West Sumatra. Why I say that because this Island has many small and large Islands that can be enjoyed, with the beauty that is the reason tourists both local and foreign just a holiday to enjoy this paradise. After I communicate with local people, foreign tourists especially hunt sea waves for surfing, because in Mentawai famous for high sea waves, after tired surfing the tourists can rest in the villa around
Mentawai also still maintains local culture such as tattooing body as a symbol of identity of the surrounding community, and my journey from one island to another island had met with Sikerei known as the drug makers around. Although the development of modern times, in Mentawai people there are still using local clothes.
Now we look to the opposite side
In spite of my admiration for the Mentawai Islands I found myself feeling some pain. Because I came with the duty and responsibility to carry out the survey I would have joined the people and listened to their complaints.
Mentawai people are mostly fishermen who depend on the weather. They can only catch fish if the weather is friendly, the mentality of the Mentawai Islands is directly across the Indian Ocean, so there is often a storm. In addition to fishermen, the income of the Mentawai people depends on agriculture such as coconut, and very small farmers so this is the government program to open new fields. The unfriendly weather can be disastrous for the surrounding community, the special supply of food such as rice can not reach the populated island for reasons from one island to the next using sea routes. Because of this condition sometimes people ventured to hit the storm for the sake of his stomach despite the life of the stakes.
Not until there, an inadequate education becomes an obstacle in increasing the intelligence of youth there, the reason because they have to go out of the island for this school that makes them many drop out. It is unfortunate, whereas the Mentawai islands have so much natural wealth. The trully again when I asked the community about the magnificent villas on each island, they answered this belonged to a foreigner, always just so, Then people just become workers only. Lack of local government attention was felt by the surrounding community.
This is a record for us all so that the beauty and ownership of Indonesia is not only enjoyed by foreigners but it is our responsibility together to improve the education and quality of the nation's children