
Photo: Tunas Sawa Erma Group reps took a photo with SMKN 4 Boven Digoel (Boven Digoel Public Vocational High) staff and students
BOVEN DIGOEL – Tunas Sawa Erma Group (TSE Group) continues to develop and promote innovative educational programs, with its latest attempt being a collaborative effort with SMK Negeri 4 Boven Digoel, a public vocational high school in Boven Digoel. For this project, the company built a 525 m2 agricultural training site to facilitate learning about proper garden management.
TSE Group’s PR Manager Sutisna expected the partnership to boost workforce quality in the farming sector. “I hope our collaboration helps [SMKN 4 Boven Digoel] students apply the right ways to grow crops, vegetables, or fruits.”
TSE’s aid is deemed needed to support the delivery of practice activities for the school’s agribusiness and agrotechnology majors.
Iswandi, a teacher, commented, “The school was built pretty recently, so we didn’t have any planting sites set up. For that, we’re really thankful that we got to work with the company and be provided with a place to learn CGPRT (coarse grains, pulses, roots, and tubers) crop agriculture.”
This cooperation was marked by a short agreement-signing ceremony by Sutisna and SMKN 4 Boven Digoel’s principal Bambang Sulistiyo at TSE Group’s PR pilot cropland inside the company area in Jair District, Boven Digoel, Monday (3/6).

The agreement signing process

Students practiced digging soil
Furthering its support, TSE Group handed out planting tools and materials like hoes, organic fertilizers, and vegetable saplings. These included kangkongs, long beans, green beans, Brassica varieties, chilies, tomatoes, and eggplants.
“It [this site] will really help us practice building plant beds, replanting the saplings, and seeding, and provide hands-on experience for those planning to open a vegetable business one day,” said a student, Maura Antonia Hermina Kaenakaemu.
Building a training facility is one of the ways TSE Group strives to improve Papua’s education quality. It is the company's belief that education is critical for quality human resource development and for sustainable development in the Birds-of-Paradise Land. Through its programs, TSE aims to inspire nearby students and help them improve their knowledge and skills. (PR)