During the early days of our Community Service Program in Jajar village, I met Mbah Ime, who was the village head there. I was a bit confused when the village officials referred to him as "mbah lurah." If a village head is still young, they should use a more appropriate term like "mas lurah." However, when I saw the banner in the village office, I found out that Mbah Ime was actually quite old.



When Mbah Ime arrived, he welcomed us and didn't introduce himself. However, we knew he was the person we were waiting for, and one of us made sure his name was Imam. He also offered us cigarettes, and we chatted about various things related to Jajar village.


After the conversation ended, we walked around the village. Our first meeting was brief because we had to receive a visit from LP2M. It turns out that Mbah Ime was the younger brother of our head of Community Service Center, Dr. Muntahibun Nafis, which may be the reason why we were placed in Jajar village.


Mbah Ime is a young village head who has gained wisdom and knowledge from interacting with people from different backgrounds and professions. He has a vision to unite Islamic and Javanese cultural values in his village of Jajar. He created an innovative cultural event called the Megengan Show to celebrate the month of Ramadan and preserve traditions that are nearly extinct.


Mbah Ime's wisdom and leadership skills are reflected in his belief that people should buy local products to support the community and local economy. In fact, he threatened to leave the village if people did not support their local economy. This shows his willingness to promote nationalism and community pride through the "Watu Jajar" program.


Despite his young age, Mbah Ime's programs have modern and traditional values that aim to develop and prosper his village. It's no wonder he is respected for his knowledge and wisdom.


Young Head with an Old Soul

Mbah Ime is an extraordinary active and energetic village leader. Although most village leaders are already old and referred to as "mbah lurah," Mbah Ime still has a youthful spirit and brilliant ideas. He has created many programs such as Jajar Gumregah, Watu Jajar, and Jajar Rambanan that are useful for the community. Mbah Ime is also very good at mingling with people who are younger than him, so there seems to be no difference between them. He always has guests at his home, and the courtyard is designed like a meeting hall. His friends come from various backgrounds such as students, cultural figures, gamblers, academics, journalists, artists, government officials, and of course, the Jajar community itself. Mbah Ime is old, but his spirit and soul are always young.


Mbah Ime is a young village head who has gained wisdom and knowledge from interacting with people from different backgrounds and professions. He has a vision to unite Islamic and Javanese cultural values in his village of Jajar. He created an innovative cultural event called the Megengan Show to celebrate the month of Ramadan and preserve traditions that are nearly extinct.


Mbah Ime's wisdom and leadership skills are reflected in his belief that people should buy local products to support the community and local economy. In fact, he threatened to leave the village if people did not support their local economy. This shows his willingness to promote nationalism and community pride through the "Watu Jajar" program.


Despite his young age, Mbah Ime's programs have modern and traditional values that aim to develop and prosper his village. It's no wonder he is respected for his knowledge and wisdom