SCG scholarships groom Asean’s future leaders
IN LINE with its sustainable development principles for Asean countries, Siam Cement Group (SCG) recently granted scholarships to over 300 students in Indonesia. During the past five years, SCG has awarded 5,000 scholarships annually to high school studen
Entitled “SCG Sharing the Dream”, the programme is entering its fifth year and has been held in six countries in Asean – the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia. It underlines its regional goal in investing in new generation leaders and instilling a green mindset in them.
“We believe developing students in early age can shape them in the future. The green mindset should be instilled from childhood. These students are future leaders for their country,” said Nantapong Chatrakul, SCG Indonesia country director.
Starting modestly with 200 scholarships and 350 applicants, the programme in Indonesia kept growing, and this year there were over 1,500 applying for the 350 grants available. Each student gets IDR2 million (Bt8,000) and school supplies.
One of the scholarship students, Fania Solsabilla Mahatma Putri was in tears as she spoke to the audience at the scholarship handover ceremony. The 17-year-old said she felt really grateful for the financial assistance which allowed her to reach her goal of getting into medical school.
She told the press during an interview that she spent the grant on books on extra curriculum. “These books are not cheap and I wouldn’t be able to buy them without help,” she said.
Fania received the SCG scholarship for a second consecutive year and she expects to spend money on her medical studies. “Mostly I will have to buy books,” she said.
She said she has set her goal on becoming either a gynaecologist or a paediatrician. “I think our country needs more specialists in both fields [for treating women and children].”
Muhammad Fatahudin, an alumni of SCG Sharing the Dream in 2015, told the audience the programme helped him realise his full potential. A boy from Sukabumi, he is now a first year student in a top Indonesian university, studying civil engineering.
“This programme has not just blessed my life, it has aided my mindset in seeing my true potential and drives me to achieve my dream. I hope this programme expands to university level as well,” he said.
Manufacturing firm SCG has performed best practice on green manufacturing, starting with developing a green mindset among its employees. Of 17,000 staff overseas, 7,000 are in Indonesia. Total asset of SCG in Asean countries is worth US$3.5 billion (Bt121 million)
The company believes education and green awareness will help shape the future of each country.
SCG Sharing the Dream was held in partnership with the Ancora Foundation. Three-hundred-and fifty students from 26 senior high schools, spread throughout Jakarta, Bogor, Cileungsi, Karawang, South Tangerang, Sukabumi and Bayah, were carefully selected and assessed to be scholarship recipients.
The scholarships were granted to senior high school students who have shown appreciation for their families while contributing to their communities – though they were unable to continue their studies due to their economic conditions.
