by Wulandari Anindya Kana, Vanesha Manuturi

Seven years ago, Kota Kita began collaborating with the City Government of Banjarmasin to replicate one of our initiatives in Solo, involving participatory data collection where city residents played a pivotal role in establishing a more thorough and accurately mapped representation of Banjarmasin. This report includes more granular demographic data, which encompasses a detailed categorization of persons with disabilities and their spatial distribution and mapping of the accessibility of essential public facilities, such as special needs schools and health centers.

We are glad to continue our long-standing relationship with the City of Banjarmasin as Kota Kita’s Fuad Jamil and Banjarmasin Mayor Ibnu Sina traveled to the city of Ahmedabad, India, in early July to speak at the U20 Mayoral Summit. Speaking at the ‘Making Data Work for People’ session, Fuad shared insights and learnings from Kota Kita’s participatory data collection approach in 2018 to develop the Banjarmasin City: A Disability-Inclusive City Profile. He underscored the multiplier effect of the initiative, providing examples such as a project to make school premises more accessible through the TUMI Inclusive Banjarmasin initiative and a co-design initiative to build more inclusive community hubs under the AT2030 program. Reflecting on the collaboration with Kota Kita during the session, Banjarmasin Mayor Ibnu Sina talked about the positive impact of the participatory data collection efforts, particularly in supporting many of the city’s ongoing initiatives to foster inclusivity.

Fuad Jamil from Kota Kita and Ibnu Sina (Mayor of Banjarmasin) presenting Kota Kita and Banjarmasin City’s works to promote more inclusive cities at a U20 event in Ahmedabad, India

 

The Banjarmasin City: A Disability-Inclusive City Profile has not only provided a comprehensive overview of the city but also nurtured a strong and continuous collaboration between Kota Kita and the Banjarmasin City Government that has bolstered Banjarmasin's journey to becoming an inclusive city. After the report was published, its impact rippled through many pivotal moments in the city. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid a citywide flooding disaster, this more detailed data proved instrumental to the city's Department of Social Affairs' efforts in delivering targeted relief aid to people with disabilities. During Indonesia's 2019 general election, the results of this participatory data collection process also helped update the number of eligible voters, determining the final count to 3,297 persons with disabilities, compared to the previous data that only accounted for less than a third of the total population of people with disabilities in Banjarmasin. The report also led to the implementation of a safe and inclusive school zone model in an inclusive school in the Gadang neighborhood, which later inspired the Banjarmasin Department of Transportation to replicate it in five other sites in the city. 

Beyond an avenue for sharing, speaking at the U20 Mayoral Summit is another milestone for us to reflect on Kota Kita's accomplishments in Banjarmasin and other Indonesian cities over the past few years. In every development initiative, there is a constant hope that the impact of our current work not only endures during the program's duration but also acts as a catalyst for long-term change. In practice, this can be achieved by laying the groundwork for sustainable and transformative impact even after the program concludes, one of which is by ensuring the transfer of capacity and knowledge to individuals, organizations, or government officials at the local level.

We look forward to maintaining a fruitful collaboration with Banjarmasin City and replicating the initiative in other cities in Indonesia!