Meet Anak Agung Andika Pratama, a Guard at Bangli Jail
When Agung Andika was younger, his mother worked on a neighbour’s farm, and his father was a woodcarver. With a total monthly income of only 500,000 IDR (35 USD) for the entire family of four, Agung Andika’s family were struggling financially. During his second year in Senior High School, they realised they could barely afford to send Agung to school. Therefore, they were extremely relieved when Agung received a scholarship from one of Inspirasia’s grantees, YKIP, a non-profit organisation in Bali that provides educational opportunities to children from disadvantaged families. Grateful for this opportunity to remain in school, Agung Andika studied hard to maintain his scholarship status. His already-high grades increased from one year to the next, and he continued to receive the scholarship until he graduated in 2012.
As soon as he graduated, Agung heard of an exciting job vacancy in the Department of Justice and Human Rights in Bangli. He applied and was immediately accepted as a Guard at Bangli Jail. He has been happily working there for seven years now.
“If I had not received this scholarship, I might not have been able to finish high school and get the job I have now. I love my job and enjoy it. For me, being a guard here is not only a job. I am proud to be a state servant,”
Agung Andika and his wife have also just had their second child, and so he is now a proud father of two young girls.
“Once again, thank you, donors, for helping me and transforming my life.”
Through their KEMBALI programme, YKIP has sponsored 950 children to continue their education from Elementary to Senior High School, almost 500 of which have now graduated. 45 of these graduates have even received further sponsorship trough YKIP to complete vocational training or a university degree. Inspirasia Foundation has been proudly supporting YKIP since its very beginning in 2002.