Penulis: Patrisia A. Pantouw
Editor: Melissa Puspa Chandra
Impactmakers , anything new no doubt creates new experiences and challenges. Now, how does one take in the new experiences and overcome the new challenges, including while in a leading role?
Patricia J. G. Saerang., a person with disability who also paints in the Chinese style and has experiences in leading 2 different organisations, would share her way below.
From Painting to Leading
Patricia Saerang, who was born without arms, loves painting since her childhood. This hobby turned into her profession after she had won a painting competition held by a university in Indonesia.
She took a painting course provided by a professional Chinese painter, and paints acording to this style until now. Learning it was a challenge on its own, as it involves delicate brush strokes that define details very precisely, while she had to make those strokes using her feet. She persevered, however, and her perseverance was rewarded well.
Year by year, Patricia was increasingly known as a disabled painter, and often invited to many events. And, in 1988, she broadened her horizon even more by joining as a member in AMFPA (Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists), an international community for persons who paint without arms.
In 2006, Patricia was promoted to the position of chair person in AMFPA Indonesia. This was her first experience as a leader. As the chair person of AMFPA Indonesia, her duties were to hold a painting exhibition at least once a year, to facilitate members to register at painting exhibitions, and to hold events that would convey the message that, even though they do not have arms, members of ANFPA Indonesia can still paint.
As a first-time leader, she found it challenging to unite all members for a goal, to find the best place to hold exhibitions that would also accommodate the special needs of the painters, and to convince both herself and others that she could lead in spite of her disability. What drove her onward and allowed her to solve the challenges was, as she said it herself, “I try to accept the best advice to be implemented for the betterment of all and give the best advice to the same end.”
Patricia Saerang, Going Out of the Box
In September 2024, Patricia and a few of her friends built Sentra Disabilitas Nusantara (SETARA). It is an Indonesian organisation for persons with disability (PWD), not only for those who are without arms. Its main goal is to promote inclusivity between persons with and without disabilities in Indonesia regardless of religions, ethnic groups, et cetera.
Patricia was chosen as SETARA’s first chair person. Her duties in this role are to find out the needs of persons with disabilities in Indonesia and provide trainings for the skills they need, and also to provide training for select PWDs who will in turn teach persons without disabilities about how they could help and communicate with those with disabilities.
This second experience in a leadership role no doubt has its own challenges. However, Patricia Saerang holds on to the same motto that successfully helped her finish her term as AMFPA’s leader well.
So, Impactmakers, as Patricia Saerang has shared with us, as long as we have dreams and goals and persevere to achieve them, we will have the fuel to do what we need to do, including new roles and new scopes in an organisation.
I found a brochure with Patricia hand writing on it, dated September 2002, and try to search her name in google.
Then I saw this page. Praise God, she has succeed, and moreover be an inspiration to all who read about her history.
Wish you all the best and stay healthy and blissful.
Thank you for your comment. God bless you
Pastor Elga’s work is a spark in the dark: people from all walks of life gather at one table and dissolve hierarchy, belief and maybe even narratives over soup. It’s commendable, it’s necessary.
However, let’s not kid ourselves: Pancasila and its many cousins worldwide and throughout history are glossy nation-state / corporate brochures, written by the few who hoard power, peddled to the many who foot the bill. Moral is declared the corner stone of a constitution, checks are cashed in behind closed doors.
True inclusivity isn’t obedience to manufactured manifestos, it’s an ethical reflex rooted in the realization that we came empty-handed and leave this world the same way.
The paradigm won’t flip through gentle dialogue alone as power rarely concedes without a catalyst, such as a crisis or even raw collective defiance. Until inclusivity (also justice and equality) are hard coded into our DNA, things won’t change. Nonetheless, or perhaps especially now: keep passing the bowls, Pastor Elga, keep passing the bowls.
Thank you for your input, Robin. I will forward your comments to Pastor Elga.
As the writer, I am truly grateful for your attention and the depth of feedback you have provided.
Yes, I agree with you, Robin. probably, We need to take sharper action to knock on the hearts of the irresponsible parties and i also admire the efforts of Pastor Elga. Let’s just strengthen each other.
Once again, thank you, Robin.
Wishing you continued success and good health.