Spreading a legacy of hope through Goodwill

Chisato Hara, Bogor/Jakarta

Their beaming grins and enthusiastic demeanor are not the only similarities binding the young adults gathered at Wisma Kinasih in Bogor, West Java. They have all been at the top of their classes since elementary school, and their parents -- farmers, civil servants or factory workers -- managed to save enough to support them through high school.

Upon passing their university entrance exams, however, they were faced with the reality of an unaffordable Rp 4 million-plus tuition.

Countless outstanding students follow their dreams of a better life this far, but in Greater Jakarta, where the minimum wage stands at a meager Rp 671,550, the challenge of raking together enough to cover a tertiary education is daunting.

Many aspiring students enroll part-time and hold at least one part-time job to make ends meet. Others give up and join the workforce in a 220 million-strong population of which 8 percent, or 9 million, are unemployed and 40 million are underemployed -- more often than not, in order to support younger siblings who may yet get a shot at living their own abandoned dreams.

Local scholarships are available, but as Lenny, a self- confessed "scholarship hunter", explained, the funding offered ranges from Rp 50,000 to Rp 90,000 per month -- a paltry allowance that would be swallowed up by the capital's high cost of living within a week.

In addition, many of these scholarships are open to non-needy students -- or if they are need-based, the criteria are not rigidly enforced.

Merit-based scholarships are offered by tertiary institutions, but these generally provide a partial or reduced tuition and are dependent on available funding.

Responding to the need of talented students within this socioeconomic context, Sri Lienau and Catherine Weenk initiated the Leadership Development Scholarship Program under the non- profit International Community Activity Center (ICAC) at Bona Vista, Lebak Bulus, in 1999 -- after the financial and political crises of 1997-1999.

"We were concerned to see students, who are (the country's) future leaders, drop out because of financial reasons," said Sri, who now lives in Washington, D.C. From her current residence in Shanghai, Catherine added, "In my home country, Canada, everyone has an equal opportunity to go to university. We therefore feel that the same opportunity should be given to others around the world."

While not currently sponsoring a student, the two are founders and advisers on the Goodwill committee.

To date, the merit- and need-based program has funded 241 students at the University of Indonesia (UI) and the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), of whom 179 have graduated. For the 2004-2005 academic year, 49 students have been selected as potential recipients -- pending the availability of individual and corporate sponsors.

Owing to severe financial constraints itself, however, ICAC has downsized and set up an off-shoot organization to focus on its core programs. Professional counseling services and its expatriate orientation program are still offered under the ICAC name, while Yayasan Goodwill International, founded in January 2004, runs the scholarship program and a separate program to provide preschool and elementary education to scavenger children.

The selection process and criteria are strict. Along with a detailed application form, students must submit supporting documents like bank statements, poverty cards, report cards and letters of recommendation from university officials or lecturers. Those who pass this initial screening are then called to an interview conducted by a program committee.

Third-year students and above are eligible to apply, although exceptions are, of course, made in the case of extreme individual circumstances.

Once potential recipients are selected, Goodwill volunteers spread out in search of sponsors, including those based overseas. While the majority of sponsors are individuals, past corporate sponsors have included British Gas of Indonesia, PT Multisari Langgeng Jaya and Bristol & Myers Squibb Indonesia.

International organizations and institutions have also contributed to the program, and this year, 12 students will be supported by the Rp 60 million raised by the Forum for Executive Women through a Bachelor Auction Night.

Sponsorship is set at Rp 5 million per student, Rp 4.4 million of which covers tuition and school materials for one academic year, as well as provides a living allowance for room and board, transportation and meals; the fund is disbursed each semester to the student's bank account. The remaining Rp 600,000 is allocated toward administrative costs of the program.

What is unique to the Goodwill scholarship is its leadership training program, offering courses ranging from career development to professional development skills, from English conversation to public speaking and debate, and from basic first aid to personal hygiene.

The courses are all taught by professionals, educators, homemakers, career volunteers and program administrators who volunteer a Saturday or two to impart their experience, knowledge and skills to students.

Scholarship recipients are required to complete at least 40 course hours, report their official university progress and correspond with their respective sponsors at the end of each semester, and dedicate some extracurricular time to community service.

They must also set up and maintain an active e-mail account for weekly notices from Goodwill. Failure to fulfill these and other requirements without an excruciating reason results in the immediate cancellation of sponsorship.

Nanang, an alumni, acknowledged: "We are also exposed to a lot of foreigners in the training, so when I went in for my interview at a multinational company, I wasn't unnerved by being interviewed by an American executive. He's now my boss."

Each year, Goodwill provides a training retreat at Wisma Kinasih. This year's retreat, from April 24 to April 25, hosted 22 current recipients and 10 returning alumni.

The students are responsible for arranging the training schedule, and the central activity was a public speaking competition in four divisions: Impromptu Speech and Speech of Appreciation to Sponsors in English, and Persuasive Speech and Debate in Bahasa Indonesia. Contestants drew topics randomly and were allowed a one-minute preparation time before they ascended to the microphone, and jury panels consisted of students, program administrators and, inadvertently, this reporter.

The topics, also drawn up by the students, revealed their awareness of contemporary issues and dedication to improving life conditions -- and not just for themselves: Waste management and recycling, reforestation, street vendors, smoking and teenage mothers were just some of the issues covered. In the debate final, on-campus party campaigns and factories in residential areas were the selected topics.

Of course, no retreat would be complete without fun and games. The students' carefree, bright faces testify to the results of the program as they gathered in infectious camaraderie, sharing their knowledge, skills and talents in a spirit of hope.

As the program's founders stress, "They (the students) were and are truly inspirational people. It really was our privilege to support them."

For more information, visit www.yayasan-goodwill.org or alternatively, contact the program administrator at administrator@yayasan-goodwill.org.