Education Graduate Opts to Enrol as Cooperative Manager: Teachers' Salaries Still Low, My Dependents Are a Heavy Burden

Bekasi — Thousands of participants dressed in black and white filled Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, West Java, on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. Since the morning, the stands were packed with young faces from across the country who had come to seek a new future through the selection process for the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme for Koperasi Desa Merah Putih. Amid the sea of hopefuls, Afiful Haidar (25), from Kecamatan Tapos, Depok, West Java, arrived with great hopes for his future and for his family. Yet behind the fatigue lay the determination to secure a better life. Haidar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education. Although he has a teaching background, he says he has not taught formally since completing his degree. As the eldest of four siblings, Haidar feels he must help support his family’s livelihood. This compelled him to seek work that he regards as more financially promising. For Haidar, taking part in the selection is not merely about finding a job. “I hope this programme can develop my potential and my income. And I can become a sarjana penggerak who has a real impact in a village or sub-district,” he said. After graduation, Haidar briefly volunteered at the Social Affairs Office before eventually working at a school cooperative. That experience is what drew him to apply as a candidate manager for Koperasi Desa Merah Putih.