This inspiring video is one of the Gudang Garam commercial (cigarette company in Indonesia) during last year Indonesia’s education day, inspired by true story about kids in a village in West Java that have to swim across a river everyday in order to get their formal education.

I’m very proud and sad at the same time whenever I watch that commercial; proud because we are not quitters country and it shows in very explicit way on how those kids are risking their life to get their rights. How those fighters do their best in order to get ready for their future no matter what.

I also very sad how this kind of story was not become an interested story to reporters (especially foreign reporters who just exposed Indonesia’s bad stories that create negative image to Indonesia. those reporters who over expose our wrong-doings and our fault without being honest to themselves about their own country). Everybody know the power of media, everybody try to expose every good deeds in the media, but I wonder where are those foreign reporters that can look for sensitive information related to Indonesia (a negative ones) when this kind of media coverage should bring those kids a better way to achieve a better education, a better future.

This story was taken from one of Kompas’ reporter article related to education day. Gudang Garam advertising agency (octovate) asking permission to take that story and make a commercial based on that true story.

the impact? civil engineering from University of Indonesia built a new bridge for those kids for free….

that’s how media can give power to powerless people… Hopefully, this will inspire more people in industry to build a commercial that also have positive impact to society, to Indonesia.