There are many paths to achieving dreams. Economic challenges are not an obstacle for anyone aiming to reach their goals, including the dream of attending a prestigious university in Indonesia.
I Wayan Sudiatmaja (18) experienced this, and he fulfilled one of his desires: to study at UGM.
The first child of two siblings, born to I Nengah Raul Adyana (43) and Ni Luh Sulastini (42), was accepted into the Communication Science program at the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM) through the academic excellence-based entrance selection (SNBP).
When registering, Wayan, as he is affectionately called, applied for the KIP Kuliah scholarship and is now listed as a prospective recipient. He also received a 75% subsidy from UGM on his tuition fees.
Wayan Sudiatmaja’s family lives in a rented 5×7-square-meter room with walls adjoining other tenants. Their home is in a narrow alley, less than 10 meters from the main road of Candidasa, Karangasem, Bali.
His father works as a traveling egg seller in markets, small shops, and restaurants around Karangasem. The eggs are sourced from a poultry farm 3 kilometers from their home and collected thrice weekly.
Each collection comprises 25 crates of eggs cleaned and neatly arranged at home. If sold, each crate yields a profit of 3,000 rupiahs.
“On average, I make about 1.5 to 1.8 million rupiahs clean,” he said.
Nengah started selling eggs after trying various jobs, from bamboo craftsman and security guard to construction worker, based on a suggestion from his youngest child. Initially, he and his wife sold eggs by the roadside with only a few crates.
“A foreigner once bought five eggs for 50,000 rupiahs, which motivated me to keep selling,” he recalled.
In the beginning, Nengah had to buy all the eggs from the farm to resell them. Due to limited funds, he could only purchase a few crates.
Three months into selling, he once lost about ten crates of eggs when his motorcycle fell, rendering the eggs unsellable. This incident discouraged him, and he considered quitting.
“I told my wife I wanted to stop, but she encouraged me to continue as there was no other job,” he said.
After 2-3 years of selling, Nengah could buy 15-25 crates at once, paying half upfront and the rest after selling.
“If there are broken eggs, we bring them home and fry them,” he said.
A Mother’s Vow
Nengah feels grateful that selling eggs can support his family. In addition to this income, they also rely on Ni Luh’s work as a traditional textile weaver. A piece takes 1 to 1.5 months to complete, earning her 600,000 rupiahs.
“With income from egg selling and weaving, we manage to meet our daily needs and pay rent,” Ni Luh said.
Due to the expected expenses, the thought of sending Wayan to university never crossed her mind.
“Wayan once said he wanted to go to university. I initially discouraged him due to costs. He insisted on trying through the KIP-K scholarship. I said, go ahead,” she explained.
Wayan’s determination and explanation about UGM convinced Ni Luh, although she was initially worried about the costs. She prayed regularly and vowed to make an offering if Wayan was accepted.
“I fulfilled my vow a month after Wayan received the acceptance notice. I went to the temple with offerings without telling my husband,” she said.
Wayan admitted it was challenging to persuade his parents. To avoid burdening them, he promised to apply for the KIP-K scholarship. On the day of the SNBP announcement, he waited until the next day to share the good news with them.
“I passed, Dad,” he said.
“Where did you get in?” asked his father.
“At UGM,” Wayan replied.
His mother was silent, likely concerned about the costs.
“I assured her I would use the KIP-K scholarship for registration,” he said.
Wayan’s parents raised him to live modestly, always bringing lunch from home to school. Besides excelling academically, Wayan has been interested in martial arts since junior high, regularly competing and often winning.
“Recently, we won first place at the Bali Open Competition in the national team category,” he said.
Wayan hopes to engage in organizational and student activities while studying Communication Science.
“By joining organizations and competitions, I want to gain new experiences, knowledge, and opportunities,” he said.
Nengah and Ni Luh hope Wayan can complete his studies successfully and bring pride to the family.
“We want Wayan to have a bright future. We’re old and struggling to find work. May his dreams come true,” they concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson