2025 – Regional Meeting Gorontalo
August 28-30, 2025, VDMI held a Regional Meeting (RM) in Gorontalo in the Meeting Room of the Postgraduate Building of Gorontalo State University (UNG). Attended by 32 grantees, the event aimed to broaden the mindset and network among participants with different academic backgrounds and to share experiences and knowledge.
The event was opened with a speech by the Vice Rector III of Gorontalo State University, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Amir Arham, M.E. He expressed his appreciation to VDMI as a non-governmental organization that provides attention and assistance in the form of capacity building to grantees in addition to scholarship funds. He encouraged grantees to take advantage of the opportunity as grantees to improve their capacity. This was followed by a speech from Parche Manoto, Executive Director of YVDMI. She expressed her gratitude for the presence of the grantees and UNG for facilitating the three-day event.
The first session with Dwi Ani Fegda was about “Know Yourself, to Grow Yourself” (Personal Development). Participants aged 19-40 were at the Intimacy vs. Isolation stage (where young adults try to form close and deep relationships, but can experience isolation if they fail to form healthy relationships). Participants are expected to build healthy intimate relationships, integrate their self-identity, and open themselves sincerely. Additionally, participants engage in a discussion about “Is your glass half-full or half empty?” Our attitude determines the impact of a situation. The way we choose to perceive it influences our experience and outcomes. Finally, participants engage in the “Point Of You” method. This method, which uses images, helps participants “pause” from their monastic mindset and view a situation, problem, or goal from multiple perspectives.
The second session with Ronny Mustamu was about “Indonesia Update.” With the abundance of fresh graduates in Indonesia, does this have an impact on the high unemployment rate? Participants were invited to look at Indonesia and how they interpret it through the Iceberg Theory and Glasses Theory. These theories are closely related to subjectivity in perception. This will influence and shape how participants interpret the visible reality. To analyze whether our lives are balanced, participants were asked to measure eight criteria that can describe the level of balance in life by giving a score to each criterion, namely: Happiness, Finance, Work, Family, God, Personal Growth, Health, Social Environment, then connecting each score to form a circle, which varies greatly in shape, and is rarely perfectly round.
On the last day, participants were reminded about the history of VDMS/YVDMI. This was followed by a sharing session with Henri Muhardiyanto on “Tips to be a Professional Employee.” Most participants (95%) want to be professional workers after graduating from college. The tips provided included preparation before the interview, starting the interview, answering questions during the interview, and responding to acceptance or rejection after the interview. On this occasion, Ansar Tario Jusuf (an alumnus of Gorontalo State University) shared his experiences from becoming a grantee to now becoming the Deputy Principal at SMKS Bina Mandiri Bone Bolango. He said that the activities held by VDMI had an impact on him as a teacher. He advised participants to take the positive things from being grantees and to be active in activities in their respective regions.
Participants were divided into five groups to discuss the Student Monitoring System (issues faced by UNG grantees): English, Time, Tools, Family, and Food. Each group provided solutions that were achievable and applicable to grantees. At the end of the Regional Meeting, participants performed a traditional Gorontalo dance, read poetry, and sang Gorontalo folk songs. The Best Group award was won by Group Bili’u (discussing Food). Best Participants: Esterlina Sriendang Marpaung and Yusnan Didik Sarint. Thank you to Gorontalo State University for facilitating this activity. See you at the next Regional Meeting.
