Time flies, and now the KIDS Scholarship program has been running for nearly twenty years. So many exciting things happened to the program. The students currently pursuing their degrees at the university and the former grantees are also bringing so many stories about their lives after they finished their education under the scholarship program. Today we would like to take you to meet some of the former students and hear their stories.
Subagia is one of the students who pursued his degree in tourism. He got sponsored in Elementary school and finished his college education in 2016. Soon after graduating, he got a job in a five-star hotel in Ubud. At the end of 2016, he decided to resign and apply for a position on a cruise ship.
Unfortunately, the process was not so smooth. Initially, he wasn’t granted the visa and could not reapply for another year. At the time, Mount Agung erupted, and the tourism sector was hit hard by this natural disaster. He could not get a permanent job. Instead, he worked part-time and worked casually as a daily worker.
His dream came true in 2018 when he got a working visa and started his journey visiting many countries on a cruise ship. When the Covid 19 was announced as a pandemic, Subagia was laid off and went back to his hometown, living with his younger brother. He married the girl of his dream the following year.
Now Subagia is preparing a shop to start his new business with his beloved wife. He plans to work on a cruise soon and gain more capital for his business. He would like to develop his business with the additional funds he got from working abroad. When his business becomes stable, he will stop working on the cruise and stay in his hometown with his wife.
“I am thankful for all support I got under the KIDS scholarship program. This program helped me and my younger brother to get an education. All support is given to me to give me a chance to pursue my dream.” Subagia talk about his feeling about KID Scholarship Program
Limna finished her three-year education in Informatic Management in 2023. After completing her study, she worked for various institutions. She worked for an NGO which support small business, in a bank, and at school. After her second son was born, she decided to stay home and help with her husband’s culinary business.
Now Limna’s days are filled with recycling activities. She recycles plastic packaging waste and glass bottles. Besides its high economic value, Limna recycles waste because she cares about the environment. The rubbish will bring more harm to the environment if it is not managed well.
“I was lucky to get support for my education from YKIP’s Scholarship Program. It is a miracle and a bridge to finish my education. Thank you to YKIP and donors who support my education.” Limna explained what YKIP and KIDS scholarship program means to her. In the future, she would like to expand her recycling business and continue to save the environment in Bali. She hopes that she can have more capacity to recycle organic waste.
Life is indeed unpredictable, as happened to Lucky, one of the KIDS-sponsored students who graduated from Universitas Negeri Malang, majoring in Law and Civic Education. He aspired to be an educator, but life has a different path for him. After graduating, he worked in a bank as a teacher and graphic designer, and finally, now he became a photographer.
He lives in Blitar, East Java, with his beloved wife and son. He manages a photo studio and becomes a photographer for special occasions such as graduation, wedding, pre-weddings, etc. Lucky wishes to develop his business. He believes that by expanding his business, he could improve his family’s condition and significantly impact the people around him.
“I thank all donors who help me to stay at school. You not only gave me the chance to study but also gave me the attention parents would give to their loved children. I become what I am now is because of your generosity. I could pay your kindness forward to the people around me.” Lucky expresses his feeling about the scholarship program.
In 2010, Nari graduated with an Indonesian Language and Literature Education degree from Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha. Since graduation, Nari has followed her passion for having a career in the education sector. She worked as a teacher or education staff in various schools. Now Nari is a homeroom teacher and teaches Bahasa Indonesia in a public junior high school in Denpasar.
“For some people, teaching is a tough job, but I enjoy being a teacher. In my opinion, education is essential because the future of a nation is on the education of its younger generation. Education, although it’s not the only way, will bring a better generation and result in a great improvement of the nation. I am happy to be a part of creating them.”
“ For me, YKIP-KIDS brings such a tremendous change in my life. As a teenager, I almost lost hope of continuing my education, but the KIDS scholarship program brought me the chance to continue my studies. YKIP bring me joy, sincerity, and education for a better life. Because of this scholarship program, we have a teacher, a nurse, and a programmer in my family.”
Nari lives with her mother, husband, and two gorgeous sons in Denpasar.
Those are some stories from former sponsored students under the KIDS scholarship program. We are happy to know that the graduates of this program could bring a good impact, not only on their families but also on other people around them. We wish the best for their future.
We also would like to thank Inspirasia Foundation (previously known as Annika Linden Foundation), PT Mitrais, and many other donors that have supported KIDS Scholarship Program from the beginning. Your generosity has helped so many students to reach their dream and become a good influence on people around them.