Bajaj Driver's Son Secretly Enrols at ITB, Earns Scholarship After Father's Viral Journey
The story of Basuni Yusuf’s (56) struggle to take his son Andromeda Sufi Aggoro (18) to study at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) by bajaj has drawn widespread appreciation. Basuni himself was taken by surprise when he learned his son had been accepted at ITB.
Basuni, a resident of Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta, admitted he had long known that his son wanted to study at ITB. However, he initially withheld his permission because he was unsure he could afford to fund Andro’s dream.
“I didn’t allow it, because it’s far away and I didn’t have the money — the costs in Bandung are expensive,” Basuni explained when met at his home in Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta, on Friday (24/7/2026).
As a result, after finishing senior high school in 2025, Andro enrolled at UPN Yogyakarta instead. According to Basuni, Andro only agreed to study at UPN because he was obeying his parents’ wishes.
“He studied at UPN for a year and received the KIP (Smart Indonesia Card) scholarship. His major was Informatics Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering. It wasn’t what Andro wanted — while he was in Yogyakarta, he was simply following his parents, going along with what we wanted,” he said.
A year at UPN did not make Andro bury his dream. The eldest of seven siblings secretly applied to ITB this year. Andro was accepted into the one and only programme he had dreamed of: astronomy.
“Suddenly he said, ‘Dad, I’ve been accepted at ITB, I want to go to Bandung.’ When I heard that I was confused — where would the money come from? I don’t hold any money. In the end I answered, ‘Alright Andro, you may go to Bandung as long as you get a scholarship,’” Basuni explained.
Basuni, who once worked grating coconut at Karangwaru Market, was deeply uncertain. He wanted to support his son’s dream, but his economic circumstances stood like a wall in the way.
Basuni was still unsure his earnings as a driver of a rented bajaj — at Rp 80,000 per day — could help much. At that moment, it was Andro’s mother who became his source of strength.
Basuni’s wife, Suci Wahyuningsih (45), asked him to surrender everything to God the Creator. Basuni then gave Andro his blessing, on the condition that Andro could secure a scholarship.
Basuni took the bold step of driving Andro to Bandung by bajaj. He also shared his travel plan with the ITB parents’ WhatsApp group.
Basuni, Suci, Andro and one of his younger siblings set off for Bandung on Friday (17/7) at 5pm. They travelled by bajaj after Basuni obtained permission from the vehicle’s owner.
Little did they know that this journey would open the door for Andro to receive a scholarship.
“I had indeed planned to take him by bajaj, and I shared it with the ITB Parents’ Association group. While we were looking for scholarships, ITB actually invited us to come to the campus — we were invited and offered a scholarship,” he explained.