People

“I hope you can be an assistant in the plantation, I’m praying for you to be an assistant, my son.”

Bambang was born in Rantauprapat on 11 July, 1988, and was raised in a modest family in Pangkatan Labuhan Batu District, North Sumatra. His father was a state electricity company employee, while his mother was a freshwater fish seller. Every morning after praying, he would help his mother bring the fish for sale by riding a rented ‘ontel’ (bike) to the crossroads, waiting for the bus heading to the ‘Pajak Sigambal’ traditional market. After helping his mother, Bambang would go to school at Rantauprapat Plus. Despite their humble background, his parents were always determined to send him and his siblings to college.

After graduating from high school in 2007, he studied at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) with the Agribusiness Management Expertise Programme. Even when times were tough, Bambang did not let his financial background discourage him during his college years, as he looked for ways to survive and continue studying in the big city. He took on many different jobs and roles – bread seller, mosque caretaker, public transportation driver, private tutor and teacher at a special needs school.

One day, he learnt about the Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food Scholarship Programme from an acquaintance who had taken part in its the first intake. Upon hearing that one of the advantages of the programme was the full tuition fee coverage by the company, he made a decision to leave his existing course of study, and took the SMART diploma test in Padang Halaban. Through hard work and with the prayers of his parents, he succeeded, and returned to IPB in 2008 under the Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food Scholarship Programme.

“If you get the chance, try to join this programme. The opportunity is once in a lifetime and I am proof of it.”

During his course of study, the biggest challenge for him was to not be complacent, because even though he already felt fulfilled in terms of life and education, it was only the beginning of his career. By staying focused and working hard, Bambang Irwansyah Lubis, graduate of the 2010 Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food Scholarship Programme, now works as a Field Social Assistant in Cendana Estate, Sinar Mas Plantation, West Kalimantan.

Bambang has always been a devoted child to his parents, and credits the success he has had to them, and their prayers. A father of two children now himself, Bambang is also active in the company as Secretary of the Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health in PT KGP Ketapang 2, West Kalimantan. He is full of enthusiasm, a hard worker and likes new challenges. In addition, he is quick to adapt, socialise, and mediate conflicts should they arise at work.

Working at Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food, he has found many values of life, especially the value of ‘Universal Love’. Universal love means loving and helping all human beings despite differences in race, ethnicity, religion, or even economical background. He hopes that graduates of this scholarship programme can make a positive contribution to Indonesia.

In order to help the best students to have quality and free education, Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food runs this scholarship programme annually. Through this programme, Bambang was able to make his parents’ dream come true. Do you also want to make your dreams come true? Find more information about Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food Scholarship Programme here