Life is not a run race, but a race to share. Pursuing a personal dream is important, but if it does not bring benefits to others, it will feel less meaningful. That is the intention set by members of the Tanoto Scholars Association of Universitas Diponegoro (Undip), Semarang. Sharing and benefiting others is an elaboration of the value we get from Tanoto Foundation, which is “pay it forward”.

We, Undip’s TSA, undertook a long-term community development program in 2017, from April to November. The location of our program is at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) Al Khaeriyah in Desa Jabungan, Kecamatan Banyumanik, Kota Semarang, Central Java. We have undertaken several programs at this madrasah.

There were four main programs in our activities, namely cheerful Saturday, clean and healthy Saturday, planting Saturday, and library arrangement. Cheerful Saturday is a teaching and storytelling program for MI Al Khaeriyah students, clean and healthy Saturday is a program to teach clean and healthy lifestyle, and planting Saturday is a greening program in the school environment. One other program, library arrangement, is a school library renovation program.

” Universitas Diponegoro‘s Tanoto Scholars Program is very creative. The murals, created in the library, make the library room feel more alive and the students become interested in coming to the library. Thanks also for donating the books, “said Pak Muflikhun, Head of MI Al Khaeriyah.

Hopefully, the activities that we have undertaken for seven months at MI Al Khaeriyah can bring positive changes for the school environment.

Written by Niko Karuniawan, Tanoto Scholar from Universitas Diponegoro

Pekanbaru, January 21, 2018 – According to the 2017 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) report, Indonesia ranks 90th out of 118 countries in the Asia Pacific region in terms of human resource competitiveness. GTCI is an annual report that is measured based on a country’s ability to compete in producing talented and capable human resources. Compared with other ASEAN countries, Indonesia lags behind Singapore and Malaysia, each of which is ranks 2nd and 28th.

In participating in the support of the improvement of Indonesian human resource competitiveness, Tanoto Foundation, a philanthropic foundation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, in collaboration with PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), partners with Universitas Riau to establish a Diploma Level-3 Vocation Program in the field of Pulp & Paper. This support is also in line with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) no. 9 of 2016 on the revitalization of vocational education to improve the competitiveness of Indonesian human resources.

“Tanoto Foundation focuses on the education sector because we believe that education is key to poverty alleviation efforts. Support to the establishment of the Diploma Level -3 Vocation Program in the field of Pulp & Paper at Universitas Riau is also a manifestation of our commitment to step up employment opportunities by strengthening the connection between the education world with the industrial world, “said Anderson Tanoto, a member of the Board of Trustees of Tanoto Foundation.

In this cooperation, Tanoto Foundation and PT RAPP will support the development of Universitas Riau as a center of excellence in developing expert human resources in the pulp and paper industry. Support includes software and hardware development. In terms of software, support will be provided in the form of trainings, researches, scholarships, and guest lecturing. In terms of hardware, support will be provided in the form of construction of a lecture building, which includes classrooms, equipped laboratories and other support facilities on a 4,300-square-meter property of Universitas Riau. The overall investment value in this support will reach Rp24.8 billion.

Universitas Riau has been chosen as a cooperation partner due to several factors. First, Universitas Riau is one of the famous state universities in Indonesia. Secondly, Universitas Riau is one of the main partners in the Tanoto Foundation Scholarship program since 2006. Finally, Universitas Riau is one of the main sources for the RGE Group, the corporate partner of Tanoto Foundation and PT RAPP, in seeking promising young talents to be appointed as their employees.

This Pulp & Paper Vocation Program is scheduled to begin its first academic activities in 2018. The signing of a Cooperation Agreement between Tanoto Foundation-PT RAPP and Universitas Riau was held on January 21, 2018 by the President Director of PT RAPP, Chairman of the Tanoto Foundation Management and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of Universitas Riau, Dr. Ari Sandhyavitri, witnessed by the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Airlangga Hartarto, MBA, MMT, Riau Governor Ir. H. Arsyadjuliandi Rachman, MBA, Rector of Universitas Riau, Dr. Ir. Aras Mulyadi, DEA, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Tanoto Foundation, Anderson Tanoto.

Tanoto Foundation has awarded an aid of 300 sets of desks and chairs to several schools in Kecamatan Bilah Hilir, Kabupaten Labuhan Batu, North Sumatera in August 2017. This aid in school facilities was allocated to four partner schools, namely SDN 112188 Negeri Lama, SDN 112189 Negeri Lama, SDN 114373 Sei Tampang, and SDN 117483 Indra Kaya.

This allocation of desks and chairs to partner schools aims to support the comfort and safety of students while participating in the schools’ teaching learning and classroom activities, because damaged desks and chairs can interfere with the comfort and safety of students.

“We are thankful to the Tanoto Foundation for this aid of desks and chairs. The condition of the desks and chairs used by our students was very worrying and we were concerned that they could hurt the students. Now we feel easy because teaching learning activities can be carried out safely, “said Hamdan, Head of SDN 117483 Indra Kaya.

Students in these schools are also happy with the new desks and chairs in their classrooms. Radit, one of the first graders of SDN 112188 Negeri Lama, even made a thank-you poster to the Tanoto Foundation for the aid of new desks and chairs for their school.

Allocation of desks and chairs is part of the Tanoto Foundation’s Pelita ASRI (Safe, Healthy and Environmentally Friendly) Program which aims to create and maintain a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment in schools.

Written by Affan Surya, Tanoto Foundation of North Sumatra