From the wilderness to the majestic hall, a small step from indigenous women from Suku Anak Dalam wearing a yellow kebaya stole the attention of the graduation participants. Juliana, proudly wearing a red robe and toga typical of the University of Muhammadiyah Jambi (UMJ), stepped firmly onto the stage. In front of hundreds of pairs of eyes, she received a bachelor's degree certificate which was real proof of her struggle.
Jambi, December 23, 2024 – Juliana has been studying higher education at a private university in Jambi City for four years. Thanks to a scholarship provided by the Muhammadiyah University of Jambi, she became the first indigenous SAD woman to graduate from the Forestry Study Program, Faculty of Science and Technology with a GPA of 3.52.
Juliana not only completed her studies with a very satisfactory predicate, but also received an Appreciation Award from the campus. Juliana's achievement is a symbol that education provides equal opportunities for all children in the world, including marginalized communities.
This graduation ceremony is also part of the Cross Visit activities held by Pundi Sumatra through the support of Partnership Partnership in collaboration with Muhammadiyah University of Jambi. This activity brought parents and SAD cadres from Bungo Regency to witness the sacred graduation procession directly. This moment is expected to be a momentum for SAD parents to want to support and send their children to college.
Hendra Kurniawan as the Chancellor of Muhammadiyah University of Jambi also gave his appreciation for Juliana's success and the Cross Visit activity.
"We are proud of Juliana's achievements. UMJ is committed to supporting access to education for indigenous communities as a form of our efforts to provide good contributions in the field of education. Hopefully this moment will be a motivation for the indigenous people of Suku Anak Dalam to continue to move forward," he said.
Previously, the Cross Visit activity was carried out on December 18 by bringing the campus to Bungo Regency and the Community settlement location in Pelepat District. This visit was carried out to explore the commitment of the local government, especially in the field of education for the Suku Anak Dalam.
In addition, the campus was also given the opportunity to socialize about scholarships to Suku Anak Dalam cadres who wanted to continue their education after graduating from school.
"We are happy that Pundi brought the campus here, we feel that our right to education is being taken care of by them," said Siska, a cadre of the Suku Anak Dalam Tribe.
Dewi Yunita Widiarti as CEO of Pundi Sumatra explained that the Cross Visit agenda was planned from the start as an effort to raise awareness about the importance of education for the Suku Anak Dalam community.
"We always talk about the importance of school to them, but maybe the community will believe more if the campus or lecturers talk directly to them. Hopefully this will further increase the enthusiasm of parents to want to let their children study far away," he said.
