For years, Charoline Sihole and her son, Walmer Zebaoth Siburian, relied on a small business selling LPG cylinders and bottled water from their modest rented home in Cileungsi, Bogor, West Java. Today, that same home marks a different milestone: Walmer has earned admission to Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) with a full tuition scholarship.
Since her husband, Wilmar Siburian, passed away six years ago, Charoline has raised Walmer on her own. Selling cooking gas and bottled water became the family’s main source of income, although the earnings were often just enough to pay the rent.
“After my husband passed away, I worked wherever I could just to make sure we could pay the rent. Sometimes I earned IDR 1.5 million, sometimes IDR 2 million. It still wasn’t enough. I even worked as a motorcycle taxi driver and sold whatever I could, as long as I could support the two of us,” Charoline said when met at her home on Tuesday (July 21).
Charoline recalled that she and her husband had lived in Cileungsi for more than two decades. They first met while selling newspapers, magazines, and novels at a roadside kiosk before eventually switching to selling LPG cylinders and bottled water after the newspaper business declined.
“We got married in 2000. My husband was selling newspapers, and I sold newspapers too. That’s how we met,” she recalled.
Despite becoming a single parent, Charoline said she was grateful for the support of fellow church members, who regularly helped the family with food and provided Walmer with pocket money.
Walmer, meanwhile, understood his family’s financial circumstances from an early age. An outstanding student at SMAN 1 Cileungsi, he consistently ranked among the top five in his class from the second semester of 11th grade until graduation.
“In 10th grade, my grades weren’t particularly good, especially in language subjects. Then I became friends with one of the top students in my class. Seeing how hard they studied motivated me to work harder,” he said.
Outside school, Walmer helped his mother deliver LPG cylinders and bottled water to customers who placed orders through WhatsApp. To reduce household expenses, he routinely brought homemade breakfast and lunch to school throughout junior and senior high school.
Although financial limitations never diminished his dream of attending one of Indonesia’s leading universities, Walmer admitted that leaving his mother behind was emotionally difficult.
“When I applied to UGM through SNBP, I didn’t tell my mom because I knew she wouldn’t want me to leave. The night before the admission announcement, I looked at her while she was sleeping and kept asking myself, ‘How could I leave her?’ She raised me all by herself. But I also had to think about my future,” he said.
On the day the admission results were announced, Charoline had been helping at a funeral service for a fellow church member in Gunungputri. Later that afternoon, Walmer opened the announcement and learned that he had been accepted into the Undergraduate Program in Nuclear Engineering at UGM’s Faculty of Engineering.
Unable to reach his mother by phone, he sent her two text messages.
“Mom, I got accepted to UGM.”
A moment later, he sent another.
“My deepest condolences, Mom.”
The messages left Charoline confused.
“What’s wrong?” one of her friends asked.
“I don’t know. Please read this,” she replied.
“Your son got into UGM!”
“‘What’s UGM?’ I asked.”
“‘It’s a university in Yogyakarta. Congratulations!'”
Her friends immediately embraced her, and Charoline burst into tears.
Later that afternoon, she returned home, where Walmer was already waiting.
“I stood by the front door waiting for my mom. As soon as she arrived, I hugged her. Neither of us could hold back our tears. That night, we prayed together,” Walmer recalled.
Although Walmer had secured admission to UGM, Charoline continued praying that her son would also receive financial assistance.
A few days later, while she was delivering customer orders, Walmer called again.
“Mom, I’ll be studying at UGM for free.”
“I cried right there at the customer’s house,” Charoline said. “The homeowner congratulated me and said, ‘You’ve done an amazing job raising your son. God has truly blessed your family.'”
Walmer received UGM’s 100 Percent Tuition Subsidy Scholarship, allowing him to pursue his studies without worrying about tuition fees.
Looking back, Charoline said she remains grateful for everyone who helped her son along the way.
“From the time he was little until high school, I always took him to and from school. I didn’t care what other people said. He has always been my greatest source of strength,” she said.
Although she knows Walmer will soon leave for Yogyakarta and live at the UGM Dharma Putra Dormitory, she believes this new chapter is the beginning of a brighter future.
“I believe God has given us the very best. I hope Walmer achieves his dreams and builds a better future for our family,” she said.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: Zarodin