From Doctor to Senator, Stevi Harman Drives Health and Rural Economic Transformation in NTT

VIVA – Maria Caecilia Stevi Harman, a member of the DPD RI for 2024–2029 from Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), brings a different approach to the national legislative stage with an innovative technocratic perspective. This young doctor champions the philosophy of “Politics as Medicine”—the idea that public policy must serve as a “prescription” to resolve structural problems such as stunting, food vulnerability, and poverty in NTT. Born on 13 September 1995, the daughter of senior politician and national legal figure Dr. Benny Kabur Harman, S.H., she chose an independent path in building her intellectual foundation. She completed her general medical degree at Universitas Indonesia (UI) and deepened her knowledge of medical research at Monash University, Australia. Her experience working as a general practitioner at SK Lerik-Kupang, Pasir Panjang Health Centre, and Manutapen Health Centre brought her close to the realities of grassroots healthcare that require systemic state intervention. “I am not merely inheriting a family surname. I am inheriting a great moral responsibility to diagnose the social ills of society using the instruments of public policy,” emphasised Dr. Stevi. The trust of the Flobamora community in her vision for change was proven in the 2024 Legislative Election. In that democratic festival, she successfully garnered 405,579 valid votes. Integration of Agriculture, Digital Literacy, and Tourism Not only adept at formulating regulations in Senayan, Dr. Stevi also acts as an executor of empowerment in the field. As Director of PT. Dawai Sejahtera, she built Watu Mori Farm in Liang Dara Village, West Manggarai Regency. This industrial-scale facility serves as an agrarian laboratory and crucible for vocational agriculture high school students and university students in NTT. These young people are trained to become agribusiness entrepreneurs (agripreneurs) who are not only expert in agronomy but also proficient in digital literacy, e-commerce marketing, and protected from the negative impacts of information disruption such as hoaxes and online gambling. Furthermore, Dr. Stevi designs a circular economy ecosystem that connects upstream agriculture with downstream super-priority tourism in Labuan Bajo. Raw materials from cattle farming at Watu Mori Farm are supplied directly to Resto Say Se’i and supported by Parlezo Hotel infrastructure. This integrated business model absorbs significant local labour and promotes women’s economic independence.