Hirwaty Aris still recalls that sense of pride. In the past, when her\nname was called to step onto the stage to receive a scholarship, her\nchest filled with excitement. Now, the same feeling returns, not for\nher, but as she watches her children stand on the same stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarlier I was proud when called to go on stage to receive a\nscholarship award. Now I feel that pride again when my children receive\nscholarships,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Hirwaty is one of the residents of Sorowako, Luwu Timur, a nickel\nmining area that not only stores wealth underground but is also\nbeginning to build the future of the surrounding community. Behind the\nindustrial activity, a new hope grows from children who come to school\neach morning with aspirations to become teachers, technicians, nurses,\nand engineers.<\/p>\n
For many of them, their families are daily wage workers and local\nresidents who have lived side by side with the industrial area for\nyears. School is not merely a place to learn but a bridge to a better\nlife.<\/p>\n
That bridge was built by the Sorowako Education Foundation (YPS),\nwhich manages education from kindergarten to polytechnic with the\nsupport of PT Vale Indonesia Tbk, a member of the mining industry\nholding MIND ID. About 70 percent of the students nurtured by the\nfoundation come from low-income families in the mining area. There is\neven a kindergarten specifically for local community children, not the\ncompany\u2019s employees\u2019 children.<\/p>\n
Vale\u2019s scholarship programme, which has run since the early 2000s,\ncovers school fees, uniforms, books and study equipment. For families\nlike Hirwaty, the assistance is not merely about education costs but\nalso the belief that their children\u2019s futures can change for the\nbetter.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully local children can go to university and compete. I want my\nchildren to be more successful than me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That hope now has more open pathways. At higher education level,\nSorowako Polytechnic has emerged as a centre for developing industrial\ntalent in Eastern Indonesia. About 70 percent of its students come from\nLuwu Timur.<\/p>\n
What sets Sorowako Polytechnic apart from many other vocational\ninstitutes is the freedom of its graduates to determine their career\nfutures. Sorowako Polytechnic graduates are not bound to work for the\ncompany that founded it. They are free to choose their own workplaces\nwith diplomas and official competence certificates from the Professional\nCertification Institute (LSP).<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually if other companies establish a polytechnic, it\u2019s for their\ntalent pooling. But for us, after graduation they are free to seek work\nanywhere,\u201d said YPS Chair Firman Fauzie.<\/p>\n
As a result, a number of companies are now actively monitoring\nSorowako Polytechnic graduates because they are considered job-ready\nwithout the need for retraining. The schools under the foundation have\nalso adopted the Cambridge curriculum for science and mathematics\nsubjects. That move gives children in Luwu Timur the opportunity to\nobtain an education standard on par with students in big cities.<\/p>\n
In the midst of ambitions towards Indonesia Emas 2045, Sorowako\u2019s\nstory reminds us that wealth of natural resources will be more\nmeaningful when the surrounding communities grow through education. From\nthe classrooms in Luwu Timur, tomorrow\u2019s generation is being built\nthrough dreams and opportunities that are continuously nurtured.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/education-becomes-an-important-legacy-from-sorowakos-mining-area-1779545885", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }