Jayapura, Papua — Affirmative education programs are opening greater opportunities for young people from Papua to pursue higher education outside the region, including at leading universities across Indonesia.
Among those benefiting from the programs are Yuliana Taran and Jein Kesya Novita Rumbewas, two young women from Supiori Regency, Papua, who have continued their educational journeys thousands of kilometers from their hometowns and are now studying at Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java.
Three years ago, shortly after completing junior high school, Yuliana and Jein Kesya received the Afirmasi Pendidikan Menengah (ADEM) scholarship, which enabled them to continue their secondary education at SMA KP Margahayu in Bandung Regency.
After graduating from high school, both students received further support through the Afirmasi Pendidikan Tinggi (ADik) scholarship and were admitted to Universitas Padjadjaran.
Yuliana is now studying Social Welfare at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, while Jein Kesya is pursuing Biology at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
For Yuliana, the opportunity to study outside Papua was driven by her desire to gain new experiences and broaden her perspective.
”Motivasinya, aku ingin mencari pengalaman di luar Papua. Setelah tahu ada beasiswa ADEM, sejujurnya orang tua aku awalnya tidak mengizinkan karena memang jaraknya sangat jauh. Tapi setelah melihat bagaimana saya bertekad dan mengusahakan beasiswa itu, akhirnya diizinkan. Setelah 3 tahun di Bandung dan sudah sedikit mengenal budayanya, saya ingin melanjutkan kuliah di sini, dan puji Tuhan diterima di Unpad melalui beasiswa ADik,” ujar Yuliana yang merupakan alumni SMN 6 Pariem Distrik Supiori Timur.
Meanwhile, Jein Kesya said she was inspired by older students from Papua who had previously received the ADEM scholarship and continued their education outside the region.
“Saya melihat, oh kakak-kakak itu bisa ke luar Papua. Terus aku kalau mau punya pengalaman baru, juga harus ke luar. Saat izin ke orang tua, puji Tuhan diizinkan. Akhirnya, sampai di sini,” ujar Jein Kesya.
Yuliana and Jein Kesya are among 19 students from the ADik scholarship program admitted to Universitas Padjadjaran.
The ADEM and ADik programs are part of the Indonesian government’s affirmative education policies aimed at expanding access to quality education for students from Papua, as well as from disadvantaged, frontier and outermost regions of Indonesia and Indonesian children of migrant workers living overseas.
The ADEM program is administered by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, while the ADik program is administered by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.
Coming from families with modest economic backgrounds, both students see education as an opportunity not only to build their own futures but also to contribute to their communities in Papua.
Yuliana is the second of five children. Her father works as a fisherman and her mother is a pastor. Jein Kesya is also the second of four children. Her father is a fisherman, while her mother is a homemaker.
Yuliana said her decision to study Social Welfare was also influenced by her background in social sciences during high school and her desire to serve communities in Papua after graduation.
“Sebenarnya tidak ada alasan khusus mengapa aku pilih Kesos. Tapi karena di SMA aku jurusan IPS, jadi Kesos sudah tidak asing lagi. Aku juga ingin mengabdi ke masyarakat, apalagi di daerah Papua nanti setelah lulus,” ujar Yuliana yang memiliki ketertarikan di dunia public speaking.
Jein Kesya, meanwhile, hopes to become an educator in Papua after completing her university studies. She plans to use her time at university to develop her skills through extracurricular activities in science and basketball.
Both students expressed gratitude for the scholarship support, which has enabled them to pursue higher education without placing an additional financial burden on their families.
The opportunity to study at Unpad has also become a source of pride for the two young Papuan students.
“Rasanya luar biasa, pokoknya kayak nggak nyangka bisa masuk ke kampus pilihan pertama ini,” ujar Jein Kesya.
Yuliana shared a similar sense of achievement despite the challenges of adapting to university life and managing demanding academic assignments.
“Ini merupakan suatu kebanggaan bagi saya jadi mahasiswa Unpad, bangga banget. Jadi walau ada rasa capek, tetap nggak terlalu dirasa,” ujar Yuliana.
As ADik scholarship recipients, Yuliana and Jein Kesya are also provided accommodation at Bale Wilasa I, one of Unpad’s student residences.
The support is part of efforts to create a more inclusive higher education environment in which students from different geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds have equal opportunities to pursue university education.
For Yuliana and Jein Kesya, the journey from Supiori to Bandung represents more than an opportunity to study outside Papua. It is also a pathway to gain knowledge and experience that they hope to bring back to their communities and contribute to the future development of Papua.
