Awardee Contribution

Being accepted at one or two foreign universities might still be common, but what if you were accepted at 43? This is the story of Fahmi Sirma Pelu, a young man from Hitu, Maluku.

Fahmi, as he is affectionately called, is a graduate in Indonesian Literature from Gadjah Mada University, having completed his studies in 2022. His passion for linguistic disciplines and the social sciences has driven his interest to pursue further studies at the master's level.

The journey to receiving 43 Letters of Acceptance (LoA) was not an easy one. Fahmi faced numerous rejections along the way.

"It wasn't easy because I also faced many failures. Several times I was rejected from various programs, even in fields where I thought I was quite competent, like applied linguistics," recalls Fahmi.

He started receiving numerous LoAs after completing the Language Enrichment program organized by the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP). Ambon, his hometown, is included in the Affirmative Region Scholarship program, with the Language Enrichment program specifically provided to participants who passed the Affirmative Scholarship selection.

With an IELTS certificate in hand, Fahmi managed to secure around 95% of the total 43 LoAs. He used a fishing net technique, aggressively applying to desired foreign universities, especially those offering scholarships.

One by one, the universities responded, and before he knew it, Fahmi had accumulated 43 LoAs. Among them were prestigious names like SOAS University of London, University of Melbourne, The University of Sydney, and many more.

Ultimately, he chose to pursue a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies at the Australian National University (ANU). His decision was influenced by the fact that the university is home to Austronesian researchers, aligning with his keen interest in studying the localities in his region that intersect with the cultures of the Pacific and Melanesia.

Strategy to Obtain 43 LoAs

According to Fahmi, having professional experience related to the chosen field of study could be an advantage during the LoA application process. This experience can be linked to the research and study plans.

The content of the personal statement essay also plays a role in convincing the target universities to accept the application.

"Being able to explain ourselves, our research interests, and what we have achieved academically and in our professional experience, I think that is one of the strengths that I have," Fahmi reveals, sharing tips on obtaining LoAs based on his personal experience.

Fahmi even admits to receiving an unconditional offer from the University of Edinburgh, despite not meeting the minimum GPA requirement. This was possible because he was able to explain the circumstances that led to his GPA falling below the required threshold. Negotiation and redefining one's strengths are key when trying to overcome requirements.

Of course, failure was not unfamiliar to him. When considering both accepted and rejected applications, he applied to around 50 universities to obtain the 43 LoAs. He even recalls failing to be accepted at several universities where the application fee was non-refundable.

The Tale of Hitu, Literacy Activist Since High School

Fahmi was born and raised in Desa Hitu, Maluku Tengah, with his mother and younger sibling. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother runs a small business from home to support the family.

Although his village is on the same island as Ambon, the capital city of Maluku, it is quite far, about 20 to 30 kilometers away, due to its location on the northern side of the island. Since his school was in Ambon, he had to commute a considerable distance.

His interest in linguistics was sparked during high school when he watched the film "Warrior of The Rainbow." In the film, Fahmi accidentally encountered words that were similar to those in his local language. This prompted him to search for those words on Google, where he discovered that the language used was still within the Austronesian language family.

A passion for knowledge and literacy discourse grew within young Fahmi. Together with 39 of his peers, he founded a literacy community called "Hikayat Tanah Hitu," which took the form of a mobile library. The community evolved into a platform for theater performances, poetry, and more.

His community participated in the Gramedia Reading Community Competition in 2016 and won the favorite winner title for Eastern Indonesia.

"The goal was not only to increase literacy in the village but also to provide and expand the worldviews of the youth and future generations in the village, so they could broaden their horizons," Fahmi explained.

Studying Indonesian Literature at UGM seemed to offer what he was looking for. However, his journey was not smooth sailing. In the first year after graduating from high school, he failed the National Selection for State Universities (SNMPTN) and was left unemployed.

The following year, he was accepted at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta after failing the Joint Selection for State Universities (SBMPTN). At ISI, he organized a Maluku ethnic theater performance at Taman Budaya Yogyakarta with his friends. However, Fahmi still felt like he hadn't found what he was looking for.

It wasn't until 2017 that Fahmi finally became a student of Indonesian Literature at UGM and actively participated in various student development activities at the UGM Balairung Student Publishing and Press Agency (BPPM).

In the campus press organization, Fahmi wrote about local community themes in his area in journalistic reports. He even wrote for the Balairung journal about the post-colonial identity construction of the Hitu coastal community in 2020.

He acknowledges that three years of managing various coverage and writing tasks at the publishing agency significantly contributed to his passion for humanities, the relationship between language and culture, and vice versa.

His interest was further piqued when he came across the collection of the Leiden University Library, which contained the history of his hometown. His desire to pursue a master's degree abroad grew. Eventually, Fahmi applied for an LPDP scholarship to realize his dream.

Familiarity with the LPDP Scholarship

The LPDP scholarship was not unfamiliar to Fahmi. Many of his friends at university had continued their studies to the master's and doctoral levels with LPDP scholarships. Several individuals with reputations in his fields of interest were also LPDP scholarship recipients.

Additionally, many cultural activities in the Yogyakarta ecosystem were funded by LPDP, which Fahmi witnessed during his university years. Even some people in his village had received LPDP scholarships, which at that time were known as the Eastern Indonesia Scholarship program.

"So, I think LPDP has been quite close to my journey throughout my undergraduate studies and until now, when I finally received the LPDP scholarship," said Fahmi, who had participated in the 2022 state-owned enterprise (BUMN) employee recruitment.

Fahmi completed his undergraduate studies in 2022 and applied for an LPDP scholarship for the Affirmative Region Scholarship program in early 2023. At that time, two friends from his village also applied for the LPDP scholarship.

Peeking into Fahmi's Contribution Essay

One of the administrative requirements when applying for an LPDP scholarship is to include an essay detailing the contribution that will be made post-graduation. Fahmi outlined how indigenous communities should be self-reliant. This means that indigenous communities should be economically and politically independent, with a set of localities that remain relevant to modernity.

In Maluku, villages use the term 'Negeri' to indicate that their territory is a village based on customary laws. Often, indigenous communities face conflicts of interest with the state or large corporations. The national development and management of customary lands should ideally go hand in hand.

Fahmi also aims to establish a Center for Archives and Documentation of Indigenous Communities in Hitu, integrated with the village government. Various old archives from the Hitu community are scattered in libraries worldwide, such as the British Library and Leiden University Library.

There are also local archives stored voluntarily in residents' homes. The collection of Hitu village archives is important for gaining a deeper understanding of Hitu's knowledge and civilization based on data.

Fahmi is aware that even though Ambon has better facilities and infrastructure compared to other remote areas in Maluku, the interest in further education is still low. Education is only available up to the junior or senior high school level.

"There are so many opportunities that can be achieved if we are willing to revive and pursue educational dreams. Whether it comes from the government, private sector, or elsewhere, the important thing is that we are willing to walk and run towards something we believe in," he concluded.

Fahmi's journey is far from over. He is set to begin his studies this year, and challenges lie ahead. Armed with nurtured dreams, Fahmi is aware that developing Indonesia's human resources is crucial for sustainable civilization.

"Especially for my siblings in the Maluku Islands and Eastern Indonesia, I am Fahmi, and this is my story. For me, education is very important for us there. I think people in villages should also dare to make decisions, dare to dream, and not be afraid of limited access to education," he concluded.