Traveling from Papua to America with Passion for Education
Twenty years ago, Nanda was a second-grader in an elementary school in Jayapura, Papua. She lived in a house where electricity was often cut off due to unpaid bills. Little Nanda had to study and do her homework by candlelight. She couldn't often ask her parents for pocket money because of the family's unstable economic condition. Both of her parents worked as betel nut sellers. The income from street vending was often insufficient to meet the family's basic needs, let alone for her pocket money.
"Because I've experienced hardship, I've seen my parents struggle to make money, sometimes struggling to feed their children, so I can't be like that. If I don't want to change, I'll be like my parents, while I actually have the opportunity to change," said Nanda, now 29, an independent and empowered woman.
School became an opportunity for Nanda to change. Amidst various economic limitations, Nanda's parents tried their best so she could continue her education. "My parents also didn't want us to be like them. My mother often said, if you don't go to school, you won't be anything. So you have to strive, you have to go to school," she said.
In addition to support from her parents in education, Nanda, who was also a Wahana Visi Indonesia’s sponsored child since elementary to high school, also received support in the form of school supplies. In the early 2000s, WVI implemented a community development program in the Jayapura area, Papua. One of WVI's service focuses at that time was to support the education of children in Papua. The main goal was to increase the number of Papuan children who completed their education. One of the activities carried out by WVI was to support school supplies for vulnerable children in Papua.
"The support of school supplies such as books and uniforms from WVI was very meaningful. It was important to me who needed it at that time but couldn't get it. I remember being given a school bag and I really used that bag," said Nanda, who now works as a staff member at PT Freeport Indonesia. Participating in WVI activities was also a source of joy for Nanda. She could momentarily forget the hardship of life because she had to help her parents earn money, and return to being a child who enjoyed playing. "At that time, being invited to participate in WVI activities was really fun because I enjoyed coloring, drawing, writing letters to sponsors, and gathering with friends," she recalled.
In addition to support from her parents and WVI sponsors, a strong motivation had been planted in the heart of little Nanda to one day be a blessing. In the dark room due to no electricity, alone, little Nanda once drew a house. She kept the paper with the picture of the house in the Bible and prayed, "Lord, I want to go to school properly, then work, and then buy a house for my parents,". It was this prayer that made Nanda strong enough to face various challenges. Proven, Nanda successfully completed elementary school, junior high school, high school, and graduated as a Bachelor of Accounting from Padjadjaran University, Bandung through a scholarship. She even participated in a 10-month scholarship program from her workplace to take emergency security certification in Lexington, Texas, United States.
"I believe that my prayers and dreams from childhood are something good, not just a senseless desires. And now that I'm working, I can buy a house for my parents," she said. Nanda faced her childhood, which was seasoned with vulnerability, with education. She also faced the challenges of her youth with resiliency. What Nanda has achieved today was not easily obtained. After graduating from college, Nanda had difficulty finding a job in Jakarta. She then decided to return to Papua so that she would not burden her parents any longer.
"I was a bit down because I had graduated but returned to Papua to work as a staff member at a mall in Jayapura. But I didn't stay down for long because as long as the job was right, there was nothing wrong with it. The important thing is that I can have an income first while looking for other opportunities," she said. When PT Freeport Indonesia opened job vacancies, Nanda tried and succeeded in becoming a staff member. Currently, Nanda has been working for the company for six years.
"The moments of hardships in my life, I see it as a way that God uses me to experience change. Now, I am blessed to be a blessing," said the second child of four siblings. With life experiences that describe the phrase "from zero to hero," Nanda hopes that every child, especially children in Papua, will not give up, whatever difficulties they are facing. Every child has an opportunity waiting to be fought for and defended. "Whoever is struggling right now, it's okay. The important thing is to keep trying, and then you'll be happy. Don't let circumstances change or stop our dreams but instead, we have to change the circumstances," she concluded.
Author: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
