MHU's Equivalency Education Programme Helps Residents Secure Jobs
MHU’s equivalency education programme, implemented in the mining area of Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan, has helped hundreds of residents complete formal education and secure employment. The Paket A, B, and C programme, launched in 2019, targets school dropouts in the company’s operational vicinity.
The programme is run in collaboration with PKBM Puteri Karang Melenu in Loa Kulu District, following a social mapping that revealed high school dropout rates in the company’s Ring 1 area. Among approximately 52,000 residents across 10 surrounding villages, 34% have not completed formal education.
Beyond equivalency education, the initiative includes renovating community learning centres (PKBM), providing computers, and vocational training in heavy machinery operation and culinary arts. In 2024, the programme’s budget reached Rp516 million, sourced from the company’s CSR funds, the Education Department’s support, and learner contributions.
Some participants have pursued higher education, including Yeni Yuniarni from Loa Ulung Village, who is now studying Agrotechnology at Kutai Kartanegara University (Unikarta) with the company’s scholarship support.
‘I once thought I couldn’t go to university due to my family’s circumstances. But this scholarship changed everything. I not only continued my education but also gained opportunities to study in Korea. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today,’ Yeni said in an MHU press release on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.
‘Education remains a fundamental need affecting employment opportunities and community welfare in mining areas,’ said Kemal Djamil Siregar, President Director of PT Multi Harapan Utama.
‘For MHU, operational success must go hand in hand with improving community quality of life. These equivalency education and scholarship programmes are not merely social aid, but long-term investments to open access, opportunities, and a better future for communities around our operational areas,’ Kemal added.
The education programme won the Indonesia Best CSR Awards 2026, organised by The Iconomics at the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Aneka Bhakti Building in Jakarta on Thursday, 21 May 2026. It received the award in the education and community development category for companies’ operational areas.
According to the company, the programme achieved a Social Return on Investment (SROI) of 3.59, meaning every Rp1 spent generates Rp3.59 in social benefits. It also scored a 3.72 out of 4 on the Community Satisfaction Index.