Photo: Mam native Emanuel Yaimahe lives a modest life. His household has greatly benefited from corporate social responsibility programs.
SOUTH PAPUA – A clip has recently gone viral in which a Papuan sixth-grader was seen teaching calculus at Cenderawasih University. He is Jose Nerotau, student of Prof. Yohanes Surya — a celebrated physicist famous for his long-standing devotion to rural education in Papua.
Jose’s brilliance is a fair testament that young Papuans can, too, shine if given the same learning chance as their more privileged peers. It’s a dream to see more kids like him coming into this world and helping indigenous communities reach empowerment, from where they can build their homeland.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) makes a great tool for businesses seeking to close development gaps and build amicable relations with society. By integrating social and environmental considerations, CSR opens doors to sustainable development.
“Many kids here do not have parents who can afford to support them. We hope companies help keep them in school, so they can pursue higher studies,” said Emanuel Yaimahe. Emanuel leads the Yaimahe clan, whose home is in Ngguti District, Merauke Regency.
Children in the region have benefited from education-focused CSR programs offered by firms like Dongin Prabhawa. From its start in 2009, Dongin Prabhawa has aided local students looking to study in major cities like Merauke or Yogyakarta with accommodation, transportation, and other costs.
That’s because Ngguti sits far off major regions and roads. Its distance to Merauke Regency alone is 141 km (87.6 miles), covered only by a three-hour sail across the Digoel River and a seven-hour car ride through the Trans-Papua route. Given the length and limited transportation options, much money and effort is required to finish this journey.
Besides students, teachers are another key player in the education system highlighted by the company. Financial incentives are regularly granted to dozens of honorary teachers nearby to help them meet daily needs.
“We provide honorariums to staff in the subvillages of Tagaepe, Salamepe, and Banamepe, who teach pre-school, elementary, and junior high students,” said Dongin Prabhawa’s PR officer Habibi in his office.
These payments are a way to inject enthusiasm into the long, arduous work of enlightening young minds, which plays a crucial role in ensuring children develop their potential while honoring social and cultural norms.
Dongin Prabhawa’s community building efforts also extend to the realm of health through “Social Education” events held with Dongin Prabhawa’s clinic. At these events, the company’s medical team visits local schools to teach clean and healthy habits and the dangers of smoking.
At times, this team runs free medical services in subvillages and refers patients needing further treatment to second- or third-tier medical facilities. In addition, Dongin Prabhawa covers transportation, accommodation, and medication expenses for drugs not paid by state health insurance program BPJS Kesehatan.
“Our main focuses are education and health, but we also distribute food aid, build proper permanent houses for clan leaders, and promote environmental preservation to residents.” Habibi added.
Slowly but surely, both the people and company staff were seeing the advantages of having the company in the land.
“We felt something shifting [in our community] after the company began operating. We can hunt as usual, but it’s also easier to get basic necessities. For that reason, we don’t support company blockages like what other clans have done,” Emanuel stated.
Harmony is achieved when there’s commitment from businesses to drive healthy economic growth while respecting people and nature. Maintaining ties with locals also means maintaining this commitment, during which trust and mutual respect are forged. (*)
Source: rmolpapua.id
