Photo: Having lived away from major health centers all her life, Sarafia lost any hope for recovery
SOUTH PAPUA – Sarafia Korarop’s life had been anything but peaceful. For years, a tumor grew under her shoulder, impeding movement and disrupting daily work while being non-cancerous.
To make things worse, it’s almost untreatable, thanks to high medical costs and her lack of access to major health centers. The woman lives in Aiwat, a small, isolated village with little transportation options in Boven Digoel Regency.
But her struggle soon came to an end, as Berkat Cipta Abadi made treatment possible. The Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE) Group subsidiary covered lodging expenses — while Sarafia’s Indonesia Health Card (Kartu Indonesia Sehat) secured her the surgery she needed.
“[Before all this,] to be very honest, I was close to giving up. My heart just felt heavy thinking of the travel costs and the long way it took to get there [hospital]. Back then, healing seemed out of the question,” the housewife shared her thoughts Tuesday (10/21) at the TSE Group office.
Now, she’s all smiles, with the lump removed and the painful journey ended. Sarafia’s strength not only comes from her unwavering drive for survival, but also the power of collective compassion and support.
“Mrs. Korarop’s condition has tremendously improved [from the time] we removed the lump, which had been causing her symptoms. She’ll return to normal with proper recovery,” assured dr. Ivani Yunita Korwa, who’s in charge of the surgery at Bunda Pengharapan Merauke Hospital.
Photo: Sarafia meeting TSE Group representatives after her surgery
Central to this success are the combined efforts of Berkat Cipta Abadi and Bunda Pengharapan Merauke, which respectively provided logistical help and the best medical services.
“In addition to running our business, we are dedicated to enhancing local community well-being through things like accommodation assistance. With Mrs. Korarop, we see she’s struggling financially, and this led us to facilitate her recovery,” said TSE Group’s General Manager Daniel Sim Ayomi.
As part of palm oil plantation companies managed by TSE Group, Berkat Cipta Abadi is firmly committed to promoting better community welfare. This commitment is established in Sarafia’s story, a hopeful fight from the heart of Papua. (PR)
