Tahun 2023 merupakan tahun kebudayaan Qatar-Indonesia yang penuh dengan berbagai aktivitas menarik. Pada penghujung bulan Oktober 2023, relawan profesional dari Qatar Museums yang mewakili berbagai negara, mengunjungi SMKN 1 ROTA Bayat, Klaten, sebagai bagian dari program Qatar Years of Culture 2023. Inisiatif ini merupakan hasil dari hubungan yang sudah lama terjalin antara Titian Foundation dan ROTA (Reach Out to Asia). ROTA merupakan sebuah organisasi pendidikan berbasis di Qatar yang bekerja sama dengan Titian untuk membangun SMKN 1 ROTA pada tahun 2009.
The Volunteer Trip Qatar–Indonesia programme, in collaboration with the Titian Foundation, used to be held once or twice a year. However, the Covid-19 pandemic posed a challenge, leading to the programme’s suspension over the past three years. The current Volunteer Trip programme not only serves as the reopening activity after the pandemic but also stands out as a highly attractive event. This time, volunteers include not only students but also professionals in their respective fields.
Qatar Museums, bekerja sama dengan Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar dan Qatar Youth Hostels, menyelenggarakan workshop selama lima hari di sekolah tersebut. Sebanyak dua puluh tiga relawan dari Qatar, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, India, Kamboja, Palestina, Amerika Serikat, dan Belarus berpartisipasi, berinteraksi dengan 150 siswa SMKN 1 ROTA Bayat, memberikan perspektif yang segar dan juga pengetahuan baru kepada para siswa.
Sistem workshop yang fokus pada satu kelas satu jenis materi selama kegiatan berlangsung juga menjadikan pembelajaran terasa lebih intens, membuat pengalaman dan kemampuan anak-anak dalam memahami suatu materi pun jadi lebih baik. Para siswa terlibat dalam berbagai disiplin kreatif, seperti Pemasaran Digital, Perencanaan Acara, Pengembangan Produk, Fotografi, Videografi, dan Pertukaran Budaya. Workshop yang dipimpin oleh relawan, memberikan pandangan baru kepada semua siswa melalui interaksi yang begitu berharga di antara mereka. “Para relawan memimpin serangkaian workshop untuk memberdayakan siswa dengan keterampilan dari berbagai disiplin kreatif,” kata Bapak Hazem Idriss, Kepala Bagian Layanan Masyarakat Qatar Museums.
The closing session of this Volunteer Trip was unique—each class contributed to the event by showcasing the products they created during their learning classes with the volunteers. Additionally, SMKN 1 ROTA Bayat had the opportunity to exhibit the best products created by students at ‘ROTA’s Corner’ in Innside Hotel, Yogyakarta. The exhibition was opened by Mrs. Nita Azhar and watched by all students and invited guests through a live stream, managed by the Event Organizing class and broadcasting team of SMKN 1 ROTA Bayat. The volunteers, who had discovered and trained their skill to play the gamelan, also presented a stunning gamelan performance, showing the beauty of cultural exchange.
“The volunteer activity this time is one of the best activities, with an impressive closing ceremony,” Hazem Idriss conveyed his impression at the end of the event. To express gratitude for the success of this programme in bringing benefits to both students and volunteers involved, Mrs. Lily Kasoem, Founder of the Titian Foundation, also stated, “Without strong and sustainable relationships with our friends in Qatar, we would not witness the valuable interactions of our young generation from various countries, sharing new knowledge from their respective cultures in this school.”
