In December, YKIP met a former beneficiary of a scholarship program who finished his education several years ago. Somoarta was one of the supported students in the KEMBALI Scholarship Program who come from Sukawati, Gianyar Regency. He was supported when he was in Elementary school and got the chance to pursue a Primary Education Degree at the university level.

“At the moment, I teach third-grade homeroom in a primary school in Denpasar. I’ve been here for a while and starting in February 2022, I become a government official,” Somo said of his position.

Become a beneficiary of a scholarship program

Somo’s mother passed away following a protracted illness when he was in grade 4. His father fell ill after his mother passed away, which made his family’s situation worse. His father needed to be hospitalized several times and was not fully recovered until now. His oldest sister, who had a job at the time, supported his family.

“I learned that I would receive school supplies for the academic year when I was in fifth grade. I was unaware that I received a scholarship. Then I learned that I became a beneficiary of a scholarship program run by YKIP. Since then, I have worked really hard to achieve the minimum grade needed by YKIP. I am appreciative of the help I received. I could continue my studies in junior and senior high school thanks to the scholarship. If I didn’t receive the scholarship, I’m aware that it would be very difficult for my sister to pay for my tuition.” Somo recalled the moment he became a beneficiary of a scholarship program.

Becoming  a teacher

” I live near a public elementary school. I observed teachers teaching their students every day. I occasionally observed the teacher having fun with the kids. I develop an interest in the field and want to be one. In addition, when my mother was there with me, she frequently expressed how delighted she would be if her kids become teachers as well. It inspired me to pursue teaching.” Somo describes his motivation for becoming a teacher.

Somo then sought for a government scholarship because he was very interested in pursuing a career in education. He was awarded the Bidik Misi Scholarship. He got accepted to study Primary School Education at Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha. His former donor in KEMBALI Scholarship Program, Heidi Circle, recognized his determination and decided to provide him additional funds to help with any fees not covered by the government scholarship.

Somo’s university graduation was in 2019. Soon after that, he starts working as a teacher at SDN 2 Batuan. After a few months, he was hired as a teacher in a public elementary school in Denpasar. He worked as a homeroom teacher for almost two years before finally transitioning to government employment in the same school last year.

“Being a teacher is challenging; you will need to have extreme patience as you deal with pupils who exhibit a variety of behaviors. One of a teacher’s responsibilities is to share knowledge, but it is more crucial to provide the pupil with positive role models. Teachers have a significant obligation to guide kids toward a better future because doing so will have an impact on the country. I like being a teacher, despite the work being challenging.” Soma gave a description of his job.

What Somo believes about the scholarship he received is as follows: “I am appreciative that my donor and YKIP helped fund my schooling. If I hadn’t been chosen to be the recipient of a scholarship program at YKIP, it would have been impossible for me to become who I am today. I really appreciate it. I was aware that I would not be able to reciprocate your generosity, but I believe I can pay it forward by helping my students achieve their goals.”

Many youngsters in Bali, like Somo, have great potential and require educational support from people like you. Will you contribute to the initiative to end poverty in Bali via education? Support a student here.