YOGYAKARTA – Muji Lestari (55) was seen trying to hold back her tears, but eventually unable to do so after after receiving a bike for free from Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., for her son, Ikhsan Tanoto Mulyo, who has been accepted as a new student of Electronics and Instrumentation at UGM.
The table napkin maker from Cawas, Klaten, in Central Java was later asked to tell her story how she struggles for her son to get education.
“Since he was little, he wanted to study at university. I could only give him encouragement and pray for him,” said the mother during a gathering with the parents of new students on Tuesday (18/8).
Muji said she was happy and proud for her son to be able to get admitted at UGM. He has a high spirit to continue studying despite their limited resources.
Other parents to receive a bike were Wagiman (65), becak driver from Bayat in Klaten and Agus Wantoro (47), motorcycle taxi driver from Magelang, Central Java. To the Rector, Wagiman said he worked around Yogyakarta and every weekend he would return home to Klaten to give his income to the family. He has to stay at a mosque each night while in Yogyakarta. When he learned that his son, Sudarmono (18), was accepted at Faculty of Animal Sciences, he was very proud.
“My wish is simple for my son to be able to finish his study well in due time, I hope the university will educate him well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Agus Wantoro said he has long done a fasting ritual for his daughter, Siti Nur Haliza, to be able to study at university.
To the 5,500 parents in attendance, the Rector said the four parents were invited to inspire other parents to keep their commitment and try to get education for their children to the next level.
“For your information, as high as 70% of UGM students are from underpriviledged families,” she said.
This, however, should not become an excuse for the students not to finish their studies. The Rector said, the university would try to find resources to fund the best Indonesian students.