Project Description
Year: 2022
Amount: € 325
Where: Jayapura
Sastia Mei Konmop approached Hapin in the last phase of her studies. Until then she had been able to successfully study chemistry at Cendrawasih University. When the time came to do research for her thesis, however, she ran into difficulties. Her niece introduced Sastia to Hapin. And with a small contribution she was able to do her research on the application of coconut oil, and pass her study with flying colors.
Sastia is the youngest in a family of four. She was encouraged by her family to study and take her education to the next level. She looks back on her study time with pleasure: “I am satisfied with the quality of the education. The contact with the teachers was good.” When Sastia started her studies, her class consisted of about 20 students. Unfortunately, half of these dropped out early, because of financial reasons or because the study did not match their interests. When asked if she was one of the few girls who studied chemistry, Sastia answered firmly with ‘no’. The stigma that science subjects are mainly reserved for boys does not always apply in Papua. Good thing, too!
Sastia currently lives in her brother’s house. Her mother died when Sastia was young, and her aunt – whom she considered her mother – passed away last year. That was a difficult time. Still, she has faith in the future. When we speak to her, Sastia has just started her first job. Surprisingly, not (yet) in the chemistry world, but as a distributor at SIL (organization regarding Bible translation). She has several dreams for the future: learning English, study abroad and/or become an air traffic controller.
We are grateful for the cooperation with motivated students such as Sastia. She has managed to present herself as a responsible student with the necessary ambitions for the future. And we hope to hear a lot more from her!
