2024 – Regional Meeting Sumba
Van Deventer-Maas Indonesia held Regional Meeting Sumba on July 4 – 6, 2024 at Gedung Nasional Umbu Tipuk Marisi (Waingapu, East Sumba). There were 81 grantees from year two up to year four students attended this event. The objective of this event is to broaden the knowledge of VDMI grantees, since this is especially designed to strengthen their soft skills for future life and also will be the opportunity to open more networking and leadership. The theme is “Know Yourself, Build Your Own Career – Selling Yourself”.
Opened by Dr. Adrianus Kabubu Hudang, S.E., M.Si (Vice Rector of Student Affairs of Wira Wacana Christian University). He thanked VDMI for holding a very useful activity for grantees. In addition, this is a special moment that has never been done by other scholarship donors. Parche Manoto (Executive Director of VDMI) emphasized that it’s all about the “will” of Besty Maas who cares a lot about the young Indonesian people’s education in future, to be able to stand up by their own feet. History of VDMS/VDMI delivered by Hanneke Teekens (VDMS Board Member in Netherlands).
Day 1 – Know Yourself delivered by Ani Fegda. Developing a strong personal brand is essential in todays and future competitive job. It’s not just about what you do, but who you are and how you present yourself to the world. Participants learn about Jung’s Personality Theory which can provide valuable insight into their natural tendencies and preference. Besides that, Exploring the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) dichotomies can help grantees identify their unique strengths and how they approach work and relationships. Understanding their personality is the first step to building a strong personal brand.
In addition to participant’s inherent personality, their habits and behaviors also contribute to their personal brand. Professionalism, for example, is a valuable habit that demonstrates their competence and reliability. But, it’s not enough to simply be professional – they also need to showcase what makes them unique. Identifying their distinct contributions and how they can add value which will help they stand out.
Day 2 – Emotional Intelligence (Pintar Saja Tidak Cukup) delivered by Dio Martin. Participants learn about Know Yourself, Choose Yourself and Give Yourself. Participants manage every emotion they feel, which one to keep, to develop and to throw away (Know Yourself). Emotions can be changed, it’s better to make decisions and act. Thinking includes what is seen, received and controlled, interpreted and made decisions. Think – Feel – Act.
Ikigai: participants find out what their “reason for living” is. Give Yourself with enthusiasm to do the work every day. In managing emotions, participants need [1] eliminate negative self-talk, [2] start the day with a positive feeling, [3] do not approach people with negative vibes, [4] always focus on “what can be changed” and [5] remember that negative emotions will become a heavier burden in life.
Day 3 – Facing the Challenge and Being Survive delivered by Anggiasari Puji Aryatie. Parently, everyone has dreams and success since we were children, but this is different from Anggi, a person with a disability. When she was 32 years old, she had a dream. Although she had two degrees in French and English, Anggi had extra work to get a job than other people, because most people think all disabled people will be bothering other people.
Anggi used to be very sad when people insulted her, laughed at her, underestimated her but after she can control herself such as emotional also what her parents said that she should be independent, so she found the value of her life and she prove to people that even though she has physically disabled but she can be as a giver. She always uses her time that God gives her to improve herself such as reading, writing and all with discipline. Anggi advised grantees to really be aware of their own strengths, find the value of their life, never be afraid of failure because from our failure we learn more about our weaknesses and strengths and from the failure as well we learn new things such as increasing networking, interacting, getting to know the environment etc.,
After lunch time, the event continued with Student Monitoring Presentation (Problems and Solvings). There are some main problems in grantees Wira Wacana Christian University: [1] English (55%) [2] Time (44%) [3] Tool (35%) [4] Food (21%) and [5] Family (20%). Participants try to give real solutions to face the problems.
The last was a Sharing Session with Triwiningsi Anamakka (alumna Satya Wacana Christian University) about Women Empowerment. Sumba has many challenges, especially for women. The forms of resistance carried out include: poverty, economic defense, food security, resource security and local wisdom, education and social welfare. Wining as a Sumbanese woman provides encouragement for Sumbanese youth (especially women) to continue to prioritize education, especially academics, which will provide intellectual freedom, space for expression and collective creativity.
Wining in 2020 formed the “Jaringan Perempuan Muda Sumba” community as a form of concern for social inequality on the island of Sumba. Apart from that, she also actively writes about social life in Sumba and looks at humanity holistically. She feels it is necessary to voice gender equality through the community because women really need support especially in Sumba life. With the existence of a network or community, there will be utilization of local potential in social sensitivity in the form of work.
See you in the Next Regional Meeting!
