Grassroots, a village fund and the Javanese identity

Quintessentially grassroots: Kyai rofiq is earthy, practical and full of jokes and homilies, most of which he delivers with a chortle. — photos by Team Ceritalah

MUHAMMAD Rofiqul A’la is a jovial and portly thirty-nine year old farmer and kyai (or ustaz) from Jember in the densely populated province of East Java. Kiyai Rofiq as he’s called in his village is also part of the reason that Joko Widodo (or Jokowi) was able to surprise Indonesians and the world, in last week’s Presidential elections.

According to the results collated thus far (the official tally will only be released on May 24), Jokowi increased his share of the votes in two key provinces, East and Central Java by well over 12% and 10% respectively, staving off a marked decline in the more sparsely populated islands of Sumatra and Sulawesi.