'Barek Samo Dipikua, Light Samo Dijinjiang', Padang Pariaman Philosophy Adapted By Badoncek Tradition

Residents in Nagari III Koto Aur Malintang, Padang Pariaman held a badoncek tradition. (Antara/Aadiat Makruf Sabir)

PADANG PARIAMAN - Two days after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 rocked West Pasaman and Pasaman Districts on February 25, 2022, young people in Nagari III Koto Aur Malintang, Padang Pariaman District, West Sumatra immediately took the initiative to raise funds.

Fundraising is done directly by collecting donations from the public in crowded places to via social media, namely the Whatsapp (WA) group.

No less than Rp. 14 million were collected and distributed as a form of solidarity and concern for the earthquake victims in West Pasaman. It didn't take long for the aid to be distributed to the disaster management post at Simpang Empat.

"Badoncek" or barantam, is a tradition that local residents usually do to raise funds in Nagari III Koto Aur Malintang, District IV Koto Aur Malintang, Padang Pariaman Regency.

Badoncek is an effort to give something to other parties in the form of money to property as a form of togetherness and mutual cooperation which is popular among the people of Padang Pariaman Regency.

The principle used in badoncek is the Minang traditional philosophy of "barek samo dipikua, light samo dijinjiang" which means that the weight is the same and the light is carried.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, many local residents were also economically affected by the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB).

Residents also held badoncek to help affected residents, not only collecting funds from local residents, the fundraising also involved villagers who were wandering.

Titled the Humanitarian Movement for COVID-19 Response, the local youths managed to raise funds of up to tens of millions. Migrants who have been successful, ranging from businessmen, officials to politicians, have contributed together.

In Nagari III Koto Aur Malintang badoncek has become an inherent value for residents when there is misfortune, development programs to weddings.

Wali Nagari III Koto Aur Malintang Azwar Mardin said badoncek was carried out by residents during weddings, community activities, construction of public facilities and places of worship until there was a disaster.

He said that the Great Mosque of Nurul Huda Batu Basa in the village was built from the beginning through the badoncek tradition. Meanwhile, during celebrations or weddings, residents are used to doing badoncek for implementation costs.

No kidding, when badoncek for a celebration can raise funds of up to Rp100 million and the tradition is carried out in turns among fellow residents.

"This has become the culture of the people here," he said.

Not only that, when there was a natural disaster, badonchecks were also carried out starting at the "korong" level and finally during the West Pasaman earthquake, fundraising was carried out for the victims.

Information technology makes it easy for badoncek technically, because it is enough through wa group that fundraising can be done to migrants outside the region.

In the past, the badoncek tradition was carried out during Lebaran because the nomads returned home, now it is enough to go through the WA group and then send a holding account to be transferred by the sender.

It is not only limited to the nagari community, when there are residents from other villages who need medical expenses to give birth and have financial difficulties, badoncek has also been carried out.

Azwar said that if the object of badoncek was a public facility, deliberation would be carried out first. However, if it is social, it is enough for one or two people to coordinate.

Not limited to having to be in the form of money, forwarding the Antara report, badoncek can also be done with energy for those who have financial limitations.

He said that in the village, the Padang Asam road which had been damaged for 1 kilometer was also built with concrete rebates carried out by the residents in mutual cooperation, both in terms of labor and materials needed.

To build the road every week the residents of Badoncek and the development are purely non-governmental.

"It means that there is mutual cooperation and social value," he said.

In fact, let alone building public facilities, if there are residents who do not have houses, they can also be built through the badoncek tradition.

Usually when laying the first stone or foundation, close relatives and friends of the owner of the house will bring money and cement.

When asked if a person has nothing to lose if they give a lot of help during badoncek, Azwar said that this tradition will take turns one day people donate and another day they will be helped too.

"This means that the assets given will be returned to those who donated at a later date," he said.

One resident of Padang Pariaman Regency, Eka Rusli, admitted that he was quite helped by the badoncek tradition, especially when holding his brother's wedding party.

If during the day the party who comes are ordinary guests, at night the badoncek tradition begins. Close family members to residents around Badoncek and no less than Rp. 100 million were collected.

Local wisdom

Meanwhile, the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi, assessed that the badoncek tradition was one of the local wisdoms that became potential as well as social capital in the Minang region.

"This is a form of concern for the community and migrants who are carried out to build mosques, prayer rooms, educational facilities to donate orphans and infrastructure," he said.

He saw that the badoncek spirit was stronger at the nagari level because of the strong solidity and cohesiveness of the community.

The governor sees that badoncek is fairly evenly distributed into the culture of the people in West Sumatra and through the spirit of badoncek and mutual assistance it is necessary to continue to develop it.

The West Sumatra Provincial Government during Ramadan 1443 Hijriah also has a sahur stop program and helps build houses for uninhabitable residents whose residents are less well off.

The provincial government through Baznas provides a stimulant then the local community adds together so that the renovated house becomes better.

"There are houses that were given stimulant assistance from the province for only Rp. 25 million, but when they were built, their value became Rp. 100 million thanks to the badoncek tradition," he said.

Therefore, badoncek has proven to be a solution in lightening the burden and participation that needs to be maintained.

This tradition has also been present since decades ago when buying the Avro Anson RI003 aircraft, which is the third aircraft belonging to the Indonesian government as a result of donations from the Minang community.

This was also proven during the West Pasaman and Pasaman earthquakes, there was a lot of aid flowing through this badoncek tradition, which was sent by residents to nomads.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Padang Pariaman, Suhatri Bur, said that badoncek is a culture that has taken root in Padang Pariaman, so anything that is going to be built is a form of community togetherness for badoncek.

According to him, the principle that applies in badoncek is "sato sakaki" or participating even a little.

"Therefore, whatever celebrations and activities, residents have one feeling, so they take part in reaching into their pockets to help out by donating," he said.

He assessed that the role of badoncek was quite large for local governments because residents could independently build various infrastructures at the nagari level, including during the 2009 earthquake disaster.

He said that during the 2009 earthquake, people in Padang Pariaman who were not affected by the earthquake took part in helping other affected residents.

"Including Eid this time, he found bad-on-check migrants who provided ambulances for the residents of his village," he said.

The spirit of badoncek is the spirit of generosity that is bound by the nagari will be an extraordinary potential to overcome various problems that occur in the Minang realm.