Tri Harjanti engaged students in effective yet enjoyable learning process.

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Her questions about the children’s education started to be answered when the Government of Indonesia built a school in 1998 in the area. The school was inaugurated as SDN 201/VII Pinang Belai and Tri became one of its teachers.

To support Tri’s new occupation, she obtained a scholarship from Transmigration Ministry and was enrolled at Faculty of Teaching and Teaching Science at Universitas Jambi.

In 2010, Tanoto Foundation started its programs to improve the quality of education in Tebo District. SDN 201/VII Pinang Belai also became one of the Foundation’s school partners. As part of the collaboration, Tanoto Foundation trained the teachers of the supported schools in different topics such as how to deliver teaching and learning process in ways that were effective yet engaging for the students.

“If I had learned the active, innovative, creative, effective, and enjoyable ways of teaching before, I would have implemented it from a long time ago. With this methodology, I enjoy teaching the students more. I also believe that the students enjoy the learning process more too,” said Tri.

Obtaining such new knowledge infused Tri with new energy. Realizing the values of the training, she always tries to attend Tanoto Foundation other training session, even though that may mean she has to travel long distance to areas that could be difficult to reach.

“One time, I had to walk for about five kilometers to attend a Tanoto Foundation training,” said Tri. The road condition was really bad. Because of the tough condition, our car also broke down. I had to continue the travel on foot. However, I did not see these conditions as challenges. If I have to walk long distance, as long as I could take part in the training, I gladly would do it.”

Tri also became the local facilitator of Tanoto Foundation school quality improvement programs. “By being a facilitator, I have a better understanding regarding the needs of my colleagues on the field. I try to support them with knowledge and skills that I obtained from Tanoto Foundation.”

Her passion for the education sector is continuously strengthened. Her eagerness to be more well-versed in education does not stop at her involvement with the school. After obtaining her undergraduate degree from Open University in 2010, she plans to obtain her post graduated degree. She also plans to continue living in Tebo with her family and spread her knowledge to more teachers and students in the region.

Editor’s Note: The article above is the continuation of Tri Harjanti’s story as a teacher in one of Tanoto Foundation’s partner schools in Jambi. The first part of the story appeared on this website on September 19, 2015.

Ibu Tri Harjanti with her family.

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To be an educator was not Tri Harjanti’s initial dream. However, her decision to take part in the Government’s transmigration program brought her to Sumatra and became the teacher at SDN 201/VII Pinang Belai, Jambi. She truly enjoys the work now.

Tri Harjanti was born in Solo, Central Java on December 24, 1972. She graduated from a vocational high school in this city. After graduation, she then worked as a clerk in a small photocopy shop. She also met her future husband while she was in Solo.

Supported by the income of her husband who worked as a meter man for the electricity company and her income as a clerk, they had to live a frugal live. The combined income was only enough for their daily needs. Tri’s dream to have her own house had to wait.
In 1996, Tri and her husband decided to take part in the Government’s transmigration program. Together with their two year old child, they moved to Tebo, a rural area in Jambi.
When she first arrived there, she was shocked. “I have never seen a river so wide in my life before. I said to myself, there is no chance I will be able to go back to Solo now,” Tri said. The area she lived in was really quiet and chaotic. All she wanted to do was cry.

The first years of living on this foreign land were hard for Tri. She had to travel a great distance to go to the city center or market. There was no school. She was worried that her child and other children in the area were not going to be educated.
In 1997, Tri was offered to teach those children. Although she did not know how to teach, she agreed to take the job. She used the village’s meeting place or villagers houses as make shift school.

“At the beginning, I did not know how to teach. As a graduate from a vocational high school, all I knew was financial administration. So I tried to remember how I had been taught back in elementary school and that was how I taught the children too,” said Tri.
Tri Harjanti’s journey as a teacher in rural area of Jambi continued to be challenging. Read the conclusion of her journey next week.

Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto (center) together with recipients of Tanoto Foundation Scholarship.

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Sukanto Tanoto has built Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) Group into a group of businesses with products that are made in Indonesia and marketed in more than 80 countries. He has developed RGE Group to be one of the biggest groups in integrated natural resource management in Asia Pacific.

“In 1966, my school was closed as a result of the political conflict then. But I could not move to another school because of my family’s financial condition. Instead, I had to work in Medan to support my family,” said Sukanto Tanoto. “I started the RGE Group business 48 years ago in 1967. It was a small business. We only had three employees.”

Sukanto Tanoto gradually built his business and started to diversify in different industries such as palm oil, pulp and paper, and natural gas. Although there were challenges and difficult times along the way, his tenacity, consistent focus on hard work, and habit of learning from his mistakes helped him through the trying times.

Sukanto Tanoto stressed that, as a country that has different types of natural resources, Indonesia must be able to compete in international market effectively. One of the products of the Group’s business units, PaperOne, could lead the trail as one of Indonesia flagship products because it has been exported to many countries.

“I would like for Indonesia’s products to be acknowledged in the world. When people talk about Japanese technology, they remember Toyota. The same can be said about South Korea and Samsung. Indonesia and its products must be recognized in that way as well,” said Sukanto Tanoto.

As an entrepreneur, Sukanto Tanoto also believes that Indonesia that is supported by such young population and big market should be able to achieve more.

In managing his businesses, Sukanto Tanoto implements the principles of sustainability. The guiding philosophy of RGE is based on the Triple Bottom Line approach of People, Planet and Profit. This means the RGE operations must be “good for the community, good for the country and good for the company”.

Sukanto Tanoto and his wife, Tinah Bingei Tanoto, established Tanoto Foundation to support efforts to alleviate poverty in Indonesia. This is carried out through three pillars of activities namely improvement of access and quality of education, empowerment of communities, and enhancement of quality of lives.

For more information about Sukanto Tanoto’s business journey, please read here.