On Sunday, 15 March 2020, Harapan Fian participated in the “We Care, We Play!” Festival, which was held in Bumi Perkemahan Babarsari, Sleman. The event was organized by volunteers of Museum Pendidikan dan Mainan Kolong Tangga as a celebration of childhood.
Visitors could play outdoor and indoor traditional games from Indonesia and other countries, such as Telok Penyok from Kalimantan, Hit the Bisseok from South Korea, and Korbo from Ethiopia. They could also participate in several workshops, such as origami, patchwork, and craft making from janur (young coconut leaves). Several communities also joined Museum Kolong Tangga in taking part in the event, such as Koko Cici Jogja, Gamabunta, and Harapan Fian. Harapan Fian set up a stand where we sold goods from Fian’s Market.
Additionally, there was a mini exhibition of photos and collections of traditional games from all around the world. From the exhibition, we could see that traditional games from Indonesia actually have similarities with games from other countries, just different names. The collections were all from Museum Kolong Tangga.
Museum Kolong Tangga was founded in 2008 to introduce learning through playing. It was the first and only museum of its kind in Indonesia. Even though it was closed in 2017, the Kolong Tangga community is still active in championing education, arts, and culture through play. With “We Care, We Play!”, Museum Kolong Tangga aimed to raise funds to continue the community’s programs and re-establish the museum.
Lista, one of the volunteers of Harapan Fian, was also a member of the organizing committee of “We Care, We Play!”. She enjoyed it because she gained valuable experience by working together in the committee whilst making new friends. She hoped that the event could make Museum Kolong Tangga more widely known, so that the community could continue their social and educational activities.
Play is an important part of childhood because it encourages healthy development. Through play, children are able to exercise their bodies, use their creativity, and learn in a fun way. Play is a basic children’s right. Harapan Fian supported “We Care, We Play!” as a means to preserve traditional cultures and conduct education through play.