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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Students brave difficult access for mangrove planting in Pantai Bahagia

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • University students in Indonesia are undertaking a mangrove planting program and creating an educational display called 'Mangrovepedia' in Pantai Bahagia village.
  • The project faces challenges due to the area's difficult geography, requiring travel by boat and on foot, with limited mobile network coverage.
  • Despite obstacles, the students see the experience as a valuable opportunity to understand the local community's life and environmental challenges.

Students from Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika (UBSI), participating in the BSI Explore 2026 program, are embarking on an environmental conservation initiative in Pantai Bahagia village, focusing on mangrove planting and the creation of an educational resource. The program, scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026, also includes the installation of an informational board titled 'Mangrovepedia' within the langur conservation area at Muara Bendera.

However, the students are confronting significant geographical challenges to implement their project. The conservation area is accessible only by boat, and mobility within the village is restricted to walking, as no team members brought motorcycles. This necessitates walking approximately one kilometer for daily necessities and carrying building materials using a stretcher. "The main challenge is likely transportation. For mangrove planting, we have to walk more than two kilometers," stated Muhammad Dhafi Sukandar, Ketua Kelompok 13 BSI Explore Desa 2026 Desa Pantai Bahagia.

The main challenge is likely transportation. For mangrove planting, we have to walk more than two kilometers.

— Muhammad Dhafi SukandarThe head of Group 13 of BSI Explore Desa 2026 explaining the logistical difficulties faced by the students.

Adding to the difficulties, mobile network coverage is scarce, with only one provider functional in the area. Despite these limitations, Dhafi and his team are committed to executing their planned program. Sukandar views these conditions not merely as obstacles but as integral to the students' learning experience, providing a closer understanding of the lives of Pantai Bahagia residents.

The environmental program extends beyond mangrove planting. The 'Mangrovepedia' board aims to educate visitors about the mangrove ecosystem and the surrounding environment. For the UBSI students, the geographical constraints of Pantai Bahagia offer a broader dimension to their community service. The journey to the project site becomes an opportunity to witness firsthand how the community navigates daily life with limited transportation and communication access. This experience underscores that making a meaningful impact sometimes requires taking those extra steps, literally and figuratively.

Because on the other hand, no one has a motorcycle. We have to walk everywhere.

— Muhammad Dhafi SukandarThe head of Group 13 of BSI Explore Desa 2026 describing the limited transportation options in the village.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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