Act Global is an international organization that was established in 2012 in the United Kingdom and Indonesia. Its goal is to support non-formal education projects and programmes. The organization mainly focuses on three thematic areas: youth empowerment, poverty reduction and social cohesion.
One of the CSII projects that they held is called Living Senior Life Productively:
According to Statistics Indonesia, it has the fifth-largest elderly population in the world. It is estimated that by the year 2050, older persons aged 60+ in Indonesia will reach 21.1% of the total population. As a person ages, they generally become less productive and experience a decline in or even a loss of income. This situation creates vulnerability to various risks and shocks, particularly of a socioeconomic nature. But even in such conditions, some people can overcome the struggle of the elderly and be an example for others.
In the CSII project, the Act Global team met with one of them, his name is Mr Harsono, an energetic senior who was born in 1953 (68 years old). He is from Sragen, Central Java. His life’s ups and downs turned him into a tough man. He told them about his adulthood, he worked as an honorary employee for the regional government when he was young, he could hardly make ends meet with his salary so later he decided to resign and he changed his profession to a bus driver.
But in 2002 everything had changed because of the Bali bombing, he made a decision to move to Bali. He started his own warung (small restaurant). Mr Harsono shared his beliefs that it was normal for them to move to a new place during hard times. He always moves forward in his life, even if it’s hard.
Then they were talking about Mr Harsono’s passions, and it was revealed that he was passionate about plants, even while running his business he cultivated plants. Specifically ornamental plants and turning them into a hobby. Some of his plants are sold at fantastic prices, such as bonsai. He said that ornamental plants exuded an aura that beautifies our home. Mr Harsono shared some tips on how he stays so productive and organized: wake up at 5 AM and go to sleep at midnight.
Even though in his old age, Mr Harsono still has dreams which are to buy a house and land. He said that the youth have to have goals and move forward. He is a productive person and enjoys his senior life.
Why did we decide to share his story? We hope that Mr Harsono’s story inspires other seniors to have the motivation to live senior life productively.