The Head of the Community Service and Empowerment Team (Pengmas) of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) of Universitas Indonesia (UI), Dr. Hendra Kaprisma (Lecturer in the Russian Study Program, General Manager of FIB UI), set foot in the Kadoku Traditional Village located in Wanokaka District, Weimangoma Village, West Sumba, with a group consisting of the main proposer of the community service, Diah Kartini Lasman, M.Hum (Lecturer in the French Study Program), along with members Joanna Abigail, Cut Anasya Zahara, Naura Nevitha, Sadina Aimee Prasetya, and Najwa ‘Dhya Ulhaq Utama Sihombing. They received a warm welcome with the gift of Sumba shawls by local residents and were hosted at the Uma Menara owned by one of the traditional elders (called Rato).
In August last year, Hendra and the team from FIB UI conducted activities in West Sumba, which resulted in the digitalization of the origins of Kadoku village in the form of a QR Code. Information and legends about the origins of Kadoku village can be easily accessed through the QR Code.
In August 2024 they continued their activities in West Sumba, NTT. According to Hendra, this year’s community service team focuses on digitizing oral literature in West Sumba, using one story that will be used as a model for digitization.
This community service program utilizes digital technology as a tool to preserve and promote the cultural richness of West Sumba. Through the digitization of West Sumba culture, it is hoped that it can reach a wider audience and ensure that this cultural heritage is not lost over time.
The story that will be raised is Lingu Lango, namely the legend of a noblewoman from Lamboya, who is known for her bravery and intelligence in fighting 36 robbers who threatened her village. The story of Lingu Lango will be developed into a bilingual comic, so that it can be easier to enjoy and understand, especially for the younger generation. Diah Kartini said that the story of Lingu Lango can carry a message on the issue of gender equality regarding the resilience of women in facing patriarchal culture.
The purpose of the community service is to help raise the legend of the land of Sumba so that it is more widely known, as well as an effort to preserve local customs. During the visit, they had the opportunity to have a dialogue with local residents and Rato about the origins of Kampung Kadoku (Legend of Lende Watu).
Kadoku is one of the traditional villages that does not yet have electricity and still maintains traditional rituals. The houses in this village (known as Uma Menara), totaling 20, are made of bamboo and wooden planks.
The dialogue between the UI community service team and local residents was warm. According to the local community, the origin of Kadoku Village and the figure of Ubu Uang began with the story of a powerful king who ruled lightning who freed Kadoku Village from Nippon (Japanese) colonization in Sumba, using a ramming of buffaloes whose horns were tied with alang-alang. The story of Kadoku Village and its traditional rituals will be made into a narrative through digital literature in the form of the comic Legend of Lende Watu and Ubu Uang by the UI community service team from FIB.
In addition to the dialogue, the team had the opportunity to see the Ubu Uang statue directly, but unfortunately, it could not be documented due to the local community’s traditional beliefs and the taboos believed by the residents. It is said that, according to the residents of Kadoku Village, there is a taboo month set in November, where many provisions and prohibitions must be obeyed to avoid bad luck.
The FIB UI Community Service Team will also collaborate with the Wanno Art House as a follow-up program with the West Sumba Tourism Office to create a Sumba Cultural Festival titled, “Legenda, Sastra, dan Revitalisasi” (Legends, Literature, and Revitalization). This festival will hold a woven fabric exhibition, Sumbanese cultural performances, and a digital Sumbanese traditional village exhibition. Dr. Suma Riella Rusdiarti, S.S., M.Hum, one of the community service members, commented that this festival is a real step to empower the people of West Sumba, improve the quality of local products, and introduce the richness of Sumbanese culture to the international scene.
