Tanoto Foundation recently held a Micro Project Management and Social Media Training event for 45 Tanoto Scholars on January 18 to 21, 2019.

The training, which took place at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, saw the attendance of 45 Tanoto Scholars from 15 different Tanoto Scholars Associations (TSA), who are also part of the TELADAN Program.

TELADAN is a Tanoto Foundation’s leadership development program, which is designed to equip Indonesia’s younger generation with soft skills to become future leaders.

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Over the four days, the participants gained knowledge on how to design, run, monitor and evaluate a small-scale project.

“The participants learned how to plan the various phases of a project and to think systematically.
“Hopefully, the projects run by these Tanoto Scholars in the future can help provide solutions to the community,” said Tutuk Utomo Nurady, one of the trainers at the session.

Trainers for the session came from Perspektik Consulting, a management training company based in Jakarta.

During the session, Tanoto Scholars received a combination of theoretical and practical training, as they were taught how to develop a good proposal and to correctly carry it out after. They were also taught how to anticipate and identify problems which may arise while running the project.

“I gained new knowledge while participating in the micro project training. I learned how to prepare a proposal with more focus on the goal, and to implement the proper steps throughout the process. Besides that, I also learned how to prepare the right budget for a proposal,” said Bismo Waraki, a Tanoto Scholar from Bogor Agricultural Institute in West Java.

As part of the training, the participants were asked to form groups and to devise micro project proposals, which they then had to present to the trainers and the other participants. These were evaluated by the trainers, who provided feedback on how the projects could be better run.

“Before this, we created proposals carelessly and did not pay attention to the proper steps. So there would not be a program focus, and we weren’t clear how to achieve its objective. With this training, we now know how to devise a priority scale for running a program well,” said Friski Sembiring from Andalas University, West Sumatra.

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In addition to learning about how to run a micro project, the Tanoto Scholars also received training in writing, social media, photography and videography.

This skills training is not only expected to help the students while they are still at university, but also after they graduate and in their future workplaces.

Providing access to education has been a key component of Tanoto Foundation’s mission since our beginnings in 1981. Our founders Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto didn’t get the opportunity to complete their formal education, but have committed themselves to ensuring others would not face the same obstacle.

It’s always heartwarming to hear the personal stories of our scholarship recipients, and learn of the determination this opportunity has given them to pay it forward themselves when they have the means to do so.

So we were thrilled to have received a batch of letters from a group of Tanoto Scholars from the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. With their kind permission we have reproduced some excerpts below.

Chia Yi Mian, a third-year medical student, is an active member of a project to help raise awareness on palliative care and end-of-life matters.

“My dad works as a freelance carpenter with a variable income as his projects are not regular. My mum is working as a postwoman, while my sister is in her last year of study in University. Despite our tight financial status, my parents did not stop me from pursuing my dream of entering medical school. We took up a bank loan for my tuition fees. Obtaining this financial assistance is a great help as it lifts the burden off my parents’ shoulders in repaying the enormous bank loan.  In my second and third year, I served as a committee member of Project Happy Apples, a student-initiated project that aims to raise awareness on palliative care and end-of-life matters. Being part of the project, I learnt that it is important for us to share what we know with other people. For example, outreach events to engage more people on palliative care and encourage conversations on end-of-life matters might empower these people to be more informed and feel more comfortable when facing these issues in future. Likewise, applying this practice in other aspects of my life, it is important to share my knowledge with my friends if they require help, and it is also important to share a packet of biscuits if your friend is hungry as well. It is the spirit of caring, sharing and giving that will allow me to bring as much joy as possible to those around me.”

Year five student Quek Guan Wei Colin regularly takes part in Project Sukacita, which is an outreach programme with rural communities in Indonesia.

“Receiving the Tanoto Foundation Scholarship has empowered me to devote more time and effort to contribute back to society. I was involved in Project Sukacita in 2016 and 2018. Both experiences were insightful as I was given the opportunity to interact with the community in Pangkalan Kerinci. During our recent trip in May 2018, my fellow Scholars and I performed health assessments for children and their parents. We gained a deeper understanding of the healthcare needs of the community. I hope we have laid a sturdy foundation for future generations of Tanoto Scholars to build Project Sukacita on. I am also part of Project Afterglow. We are a pioneer group of senior medical students who visited Phnom Penh, Cambodia in December 2017 to assist doctors in village and school clinics. I previously served the same Phnom Penh community with Project Sa’Bai during my first two years in medical school. Through participating in these projects, I hope to contribute to the spirit of giving back to society in a sustainable manner.”

As the best graduate in his batch, Agis could easily have had the opportunity to join a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) and enjoy a stable and prosperous career, as soon as he finished school.

However, Agis chose the unconventional path of not joining a BUMN. Instead, he went back to his village, Waringin Kurung Village in Serang Regency, Banten in Indonesia, to try and make a change by empowering his local community.

A Tanoto Scholar alumnus, Agis was motivated by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, the founders of Tanoto Foundation, who have always encouraged students to never give up without a fight.

This stuck with Agis, especially when he developed Jawara Farm, his community-based agro-industry business, in his hometown in 2014.

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“When I went back home, I was concerned about the farmers in the area who were not having prosperous lives, even though they had very good agricultural potential.

“This was the reason for me to establish Jawara Farm,” said Agis, who majored in Social Development and Welfare at Gadjah Mada University.

Agis was determined to promote the concept that farmers can live in prosperity by earning daily, weekly and monthly incomes – very different from the traditional concept that farmers would only usually be able to earn an income every three to four months during a harvest period.

Agis showed the farmers that there were alternatives to earning income, without having to rely solely on paddy harvests every few months. They could raise goats that can produce milk every day, or grow vegetables which can be harvested within one to two weeks, instead of having to wait for months.

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As this has changed people’s perceptions of agriculture in the village, interest in the agriculture and livestock industry has grown, especially among the younger population.

Agis teaches agricultural management to these young people, emphasising that the ability to cultivate produce, as well as the ability to sell it, is integral for any farmer.

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Besides increasing the farmers’ earning potential in his village, Agis has gone on to achieve international success. He regularly holds agricultural cultivation and management training sessions both in person and online, which are attended by participants from Indonesia and beyond, including from South Korea, Japan and Malaysia. Some of the participants have even personally visited Jawara Farm.

According to Agis, one of the keys to success in expanding his business has been a strong network, especially the Tanoto Scholars network. He often meets former Tanoto Scholars while conducting agricultural training.

Agis says he feels fortunate to be part of such a wide network of talent who have the ability to lead, as well as a penchant to care for others, in line with the message constantly conveyed by the Tanoto family to always pay it forward.