Rp 1.1 Billion in Donations Raised for Training 6,000 Primary School Teachers in Central Lombok
The Central Lombok Regency Government (Pemkab) in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), together with the Indonesia Overseas Alumni (IOA) Foundation, has successfully collected donations amounting to Rp 1.1 billion. These funds will be used to improve the quality of primary school (SD) teachers and headmasters in Central Lombok.
The fundraising was conducted through a cycling event titled Lombok Charity Ride 2026, involving various groups, from businesspeople and cycling communities to civil servants (ASN) and other parties.
“I am extremely delighted and thank the Regent’s office and the Central Lombok Regional Government for their support. I am so happy and touched,” said IOA Chairman Eka Tanowidjaya to the media on Monday (4/5/2026) in Praya.
According to him, since the donations were opened, they have collected more than Rp 1.1 billion. The donors come from various parties, including businesspeople, ASN, and heads of Regional Device Organisations (OPD) in Central Lombok.
“There are so many, really a lot (who donated). They are very enthusiastic about helping us,” he added.
The funds are planned to be used for a training programme for primary school teachers and headmasters in Central Lombok. This programme is targeted to run for more than 10 years, with around 6,000 teaching staff as the beneficiaries.
“How we make teachers produce the next leaders. The path has already started in January. We will be here for 10 years. There are about 6,000 teachers here; it will take a long time,” he emphasised.
Eka stated that the donations are still open to date. Nevertheless, Eka admitted that the current collected funds are still insufficient for the entire programme’s needs. He estimated the total budget required to be Rp 12 to Rp 15 billion.
“No (it’s not enough), we need Rp 12-15 billion. That’s why we keep struggling,” he added.
Eka assessed that improving teacher capacity is an urgent matter. He noted that, in terms of infrastructure, schools in Central Lombok are already relatively adequate thanks to support from school operational assistance funds (BOS) and the Regional Budget (APBD).
“We have government assistance, and the children now don’t wear rombeng uniforms anymore; they are neat. The schools are also good from BOS funds. And we are not replacing, but polishing the teachers’ education. Because teachers are one of the most important things,” he explained.
He also highlighted the importance of improving human resources quality in Central Lombok, especially with the presence of the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK). According to him, the area needs to prepare generations capable of competing and supporting tourism sector development.
“One teacher can teach around 2,000 students during their career. So, if we educate more teachers, Central Lombok can become extraordinary. And Central Lombok is most important because it is a tourism area,” he concluded.