Bappenas Partners with Tanoto Foundation to Develop Youth Potential
The Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) has partnered with the Tanoto Foundation to encourage the younger generation to play an active role in development.
According to reports from RRI, the Director of Religion, Culture, Youth, and Sports at Bappenas, Didik Darmanto, stated that direct field experience is essential for shaping future leaders. He noted that young people need to understand societal issues and build networks, while also being able to work across sectors to produce sustainable impacts.
“Contributions do not have to start with something large. In fact, we can start from local movements that have very real impacts, from the smallest points around us,” said Didik in a written statement on Monday (14/9).
Didik made these remarks during the Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Programme Cohort 2025 Graduation in Jakarta recently. A total of 10 Tanoto Fellows from the 2025 Cohort have completed a one-year field assignment in various regions across Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan.
During their assignment, they were involved in various educational projects alongside local governments, communities, and other stakeholders. These programmes focused on strengthening literacy and numeracy, early childhood education, and the development of learning materials based on local contexts.
Didik assessed that this experience serves as capital for the younger generation to understand community needs more closely. “The Fellows were able to engage directly for one year, allowing them to gain social capital, networks, and the ability to understand the socio-cultural aspects of society,” he said.
He expressed hope that this experience could be applied when the Fellows return to their respective professional environments and communities.
Meanwhile, the Head of Learning Environment at the Tanoto Foundation, M. Ari Widowati, stated that the experience gained during the programme should be continued through tangible contributions. “This fellowship is not just about what we gain from the programme, but also about what we can do with what we have learned,” said Ari.
According to him, the end of the fellowship period does not mean the learning and contribution process of the participants stops. “I hope our friends continue to bring the spirit of learning and collaboration, while providing contributions wherever they may be,” he added.
He noted that developing young talent is part of the effort to prepare Indonesia’s human resources to face future development challenges. Through field experience, the younger generation is expected to have the ability to view problems holistically and build solutions that meet community needs.
For the 10 Tanoto Fellows of the 2025 Cohort, the one-year experience serves as preparation to continue their contributions through their respective professions and communities. It is hoped that these contributions will not cease after the programme ends but will grow through various initiatives that benefit the surrounding community.