Yayasan Anak Bangsa Bisa Supports Indonesia's Education Sector Amid Pandemic

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In collaboration with PT Sele Raya Belida, YABB supports Muara Enim regency with educational facilities and upskill training programs.

Education is one of the most important avenues for preparing quality human capital to support Indonesia's future sustainable development.

Based on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) survey, Indonesia currently ranks 85 out of 131 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2020. In fact, according to the Organization's survey for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2018, Indonesia is positioned 72 out of 77 countries in reading competence.

This highlights the need for both the private and the public sectors to collaborate in improving Indonesia’s education, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has caused significant challenges after the government mandated distance learning, especially for students who live in low-income families. There are three challenging areas to this mandate:

1. Infrastructure
   Many students do not have access to devices such as smartphones and struggle with the availability of internet data.
2. The gap in parents' and teachers' support
   Not all parents and teachers are tech-savvy. Some of them are not used to the distance learning approach.
3. Economic downturn
   The pandemic has caused a significant loss of income in the informal sector. This condition has impacted students’ education due to a lack of funds.

Yayasan Anak Bangsa Bisa Supports Indonesia’s Education Sector

In response to that, Yayasan Anak Bangsa Bisa (YABB) as a non-profit organization founded by Gojek, Southeast Asia's leading technology group, aims to help further Indonesia’s education through technology and innovation with the spirit of Gotong Royong (reciprocity). YABB creates programs that support equitable access to quality learning materials and digital resources that can change the education landscape in Indonesia while helping equip talents with skills for industry 4.0.

Gojek’s driver-partners receive smartphone and internet data support during the first batch of #bersamaBISA program

In July 2020, YABB launched #bersamaBISA (#togetherweCAN), a program that focuses on supporting hundreds of academically outstanding Gojek driver-partners’ children who are on the brink of discontinuing their education because of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

There are three pillars within the #bersamaBISA program:

1. Infrastructure support. YABB believes that internet infrastructure is the main enabler of distance learning. Beneficiaries will receive hardware and internet data support.
2. Life skills support. Beneficiaries will get access to join online monthly sharing sessions on thematic topics based on YABB learning syllabus to build confidence, interpersonal skills, critical thinking and creativity among children.
3. Subsidies. Beneficiaries will also get cash subsidies that can be used to cover books, stationeries and school fees if applicable.

Monica Oudang, Chairwoman of YABB said that education is an important element to build a strong and empowered society. "This is in line with YABB's mission to create a sustainable society through equal opportunities in the areas of education, entrepreneurship and diversity," she said.

"We hope this program will inspire many other companies to contribute to Indonesia’s education sector in accordance with the United Nations fourth Sustainable Development Goal, which is to ensure a good inclusive education of equal quality and also support the lifelong learning opportunities for all," said Monica.

#bersamaBISA expands to Muara Enim, South Sumatra

In collaboration with PT Sele Raya Belida (SRB), an established player in Indonesia’s energy sector, YABB is expanding its #bersamaBISA program to support the educational needs of students in Muara Enim regency, South Sumatra. In Lembak subdistrict, beneficiaries receive a smart gadget and monthly free internet access, to support their long-distance learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One of the student’s parent receives a smart gadget and internet data support at Muara Enim regency

In addition, YABB and SRB also distribute cash subsidies for the beneficiaries to pay their school fees or purchase stationeries and books as well as provide online training that focuses on character development in facing the demands of industry 4.0.

The #bersamaBISA program in Muara Enim regency will benefit 50 academically outstanding students from five schools, namely SDN 1 Lembak, SDN 2 Lembak, SDN 11 Lembak, SMP PGRI Alai and SMAN 1 Lembak. This assistance will be provided for nine months, starting from October 2020 to June 2021.

Juchiro Tampi, President and General Manager of SRB said, “Sele Raya Belida and Yayasan Anak Bangsa Bisa share a similar vision of supporting Indonesia’s education sector. We believe this program will not only overcome the existing challenges, but also motivate the students to enhance their competencies.”(*)

INFO TEMPO