On 13 March 2024 Yayasan Wadah Titian Harapan (Wadah) signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia (FISIP UI).  The Cooperation specifically in the Social Welfare Science Study Programme and is a form of implementation of the tri darma of higher education, namely, education, research, and community service.

The event took place at the FISIP UI Depok campus and was attended by Mrs Anie Hashim Djojohadikusumo, as Founder and Chairperson of Wadah, Mrs Paula Stela Nova Landowero as Secretary General, who was accompanied by the Board of Directors and Supervisors of Wadah.  From FISIP UI, the Dean of FISIP Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs Nurul Isnaeni, Ph.D, Secretary of FISIP, as well as a number of structural officials and staff in the Social Welfare Science Study Program were present. In addition to Wadah, 3 other non-profit organisations also signed cooperation agreements with FISIP UI on that day. They are the PULIH Foundation, which has been working on mental health issues since 2002; Teman Baik Foundation, which works on capacity building programmes for children and young people; and Janji Baik Foundation, which manages free digital-based education for school-age children throughout Indonesia.

Although the Cooperation Agreement between FISIP UI and Wadah was only signed recently, he relationship between the two institutions has been ongoing since 2017. It started when a student of FISIP UI Social Welfare Studies Programme, named Rizky Putri, conducted practicum activities in Wadah’s assisted community, Humus Bekasi. Then in 2019, the same activity was carried out again by a student in the Al Hidayah community, North Jakarta, and continued in 2023 by 2 students in the Despuri Klender community, East Jakarta, and in 2024 by 3 students in the Al Hidayah community, North Jakarta. In addition to the practicum, in 2024, one student of undergraduate program is conducting research at the Wadah head office to write a thesis. Previously in 2019, Research activities in the Wadah community have also been carried out by a lecturer of the Social Welfare Study Programme of FISIP UI to write a dissertation entitled Social Investment Initiatives for the Development of At-Risk Youth in Urban Poor Jakarta, Indonesia.

During the signing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Wadah and other organisations in facilitating a place for their students to become social scholars who are skilled in handling social problems. Through this cooperation, the management of social problems can be carried out through the development of preventive, curative, rehabilitative and developmental programmes. “We give them the theory and you strengthen it with real action in the field,” he said.

The Cooperation Agreement that has been signed is a formal entrance in the efforts of both institutions to increase the capacity of the resources of the parties involved in this collaboration, especially to produce superior human resources through practicum, research and community service activities.

*From left: Ghewa Yohanes-Head of the development and research department, Paula Stela Nova Landowero – Secretary General, Retnaning Tyas – Supervisor, Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto – Faculty Leader of FISIP UI, Anie Hashim Djojohadikusumo – Chairperson, Sitie Indrawati Djojohadikusumo – Supervisor, and Lilik Juniarti – Treasurer.

Wadah does not only open opportunities for FISIP UI students but previously, there were several students from within and outside the country who studied in the communities assisted by Wadah, including in 2016 there were 4 Enactus and Manheim University students from Germany who tested aquaponic technology in the Arjasari community, West Java, and in 2018 there was a Stanford University student from America who did an internship in the Cibodas community, West Java, Yogyakarta Special Region and Kupang East Nusa Tenggara;  and a student from Germany’s Hildegard Wegchelder-Gymnasium who learnt community empowerment while teaching English in the Sikka NTT community.

From local universities, in the 2018-2021, there are 27 students interns, they are 13 students of the Ambon State Islamic Institute (IAIN) who participated in internships at the Learning Centre Ambon and 14 students of the Social Welfare Study Programme of Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University Jakarta who participated in a practicum in Jakarta community.

Author: Ghewa Yohanes
Editor: Paula Stela Nova Landowero