Scholarships Encourage Students to Continue Learning

The Tanoto Foundation, founded by successful entrepreneur and philanthropist Sukanto Tanoto, has worked together with one of its corporate partners, Riau Anderson Pulp and Paper (RAPP), to hand out educational scholarships to 35 high school students in Cerenti, Kauntan District Singingi, during the month of November. These scholarships were awarded to students who have the potential to excel in their classes but are unable to continue studies due to financial restraints.

The high school scholars who have been chosen for these scholarships have each received RP 3 000 000 (roughly US$ 223) as bursary for the year which is a huge relief to the students and their families. One female student stated that because of the bursary her single mother, who earns only RP 700 000 (roughly US$ 52.2) per month as a cleaning lady, no longer has to worry about the cost of her daughter’s continued education to graduate school.

RAPP Scholarships

Between 2009 and 2016, RAPP in association with the Tanoto Foundation, have granted an estimated 892 scholarships to students, ranging from elementary schools to high schools scattered around the Cerenti Estate, Baserah and Logas communities, at an estimated value of RP 1.6 billion (US$ 119 500).

RAPP forms part of the Royal Golden Eagle group of companies, which was founded by entrepreneur Sukanto Tanoto, and through partnering with the Tanoto Foundation to give back to the community and help to break the vicious poverty cycle through forms of education, RAPP follows RGE’s philosophy of good for the community, good for the country, good for the climate and good for the company.

Granting scholarships to students is a large part of how the Tanoto Foundation fights to reduce poverty in rural areas. The Foundation believes that good teachers make a huge difference in how much students learn, and therefore create better educated individuals. Since 2012 they have regularly organised soft skill teacher training such as Learning PAIKEM, Library Management, School Environmental and Sanitation Training and Teacher Training via the Pelita Guru Mandiri program.

 

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