Megantara Edupark is a space for education, a place where many people, and particularly youth, can learn about ecology, life values, social issues, and religion through experience with nature and in togetherness with others.
Megantara Edupark (ME) is an edutainment park located in Pamulang, Tangerang Selatan. It was founded in July 2023 as a manifestation of the social commitment of Christian community of St. Barnabas Church, Pamulang. Originally, the land of 13.500 m2, where it is located, was already a space dedicated to ecological projects back in the early 2000’s. It was known as Darling (Sadar Lingkungan or Ecological Awareness). But then, for many years, it was not well taken care of. In 2022, when Fr. Petrus Cipto Nugroho, SCJ assumed the responsibility as parish priest, he saw the great potential of DarLing as the Church’s contribution for the society. For him, it could be more than just farming land or other agricultural purposes. He envisioned that it could be a multidimensional space where the Church can exercise ecological commitment and preferential options for the poor.
He immediately initiated the projects, in collaboration with parishioners and many other people. The initiative gained many supports so that it didn’t really took a long time to restructure DarLing and transform it to Megantara Edupark. ME, as can be perceived from the name, is dedicated primarily as a space for education. Having as vision to be an instrument for mental change, it is a place where many people, and particularly youth, can learn about many things: ecology, life values, social issues, and religion through experience with nature and in togetherness with others.
As mentioned above, it was also foreseen as a multidimensional space. Other than education, ME concerns also social contribution. It is projected to be a space for gathering, either for the parishioners or any people around. The idea is that ME could be a comfortable space for everyone, regardless of religion or social status. Though it is still in progress of development, ME has hosted many activities and events, such as inter-religious encounters, parishioners gathering, workshops, seminars, and other social events. There is a particular activity worth noted regarding social contribution: sharing blessings with the poor by providing free meal in certain days, usually on Wednesday or Friday. So, it is called “Rabu Berkat – Wednesday of Blessing” or “Jumat Berkah – Friday of Blessing”.
Another important dimension is entrepreneurship. It comes from the awareness that the church could take part also in contributing to the wealth of the people, either among the parishioners or people surrounding. Concrete actions of this entrepreneurship project is developing and sustaining home industry producing agricultural products. The strategy is planting, producing, and marketing. For that reason, ME has a space for plantations, fishponds, and other animal cultivations; a space for production, such as food (tempe – traditional food made from fermented soybeans) or merchandise; a space for marketing: a canteen and a store in which the products are marketed.
Up to this point, though it has already made considerable contributions, ME is still a work in progress to achieve its vision. Fr. Petrus and many generous collaborators always have in mind the noble vision of Fr. Dehon: The Reign of the Sacred Heart in souls and societies. They try to put it into action: to build unity among diverse people and to make charity embodied in any possible way.
