Balikpapan – Inspired by her mother's hard work in supporting the family's economy, Selvia Angelina Putri has earned a full scholarship from the Sobat Bumi Kalimantan (BSBK) Scholarship Program, organized by PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) in collaboration with Pertamina Foundation as the implementing partner. Selvi's parents smiled and hugged their daughter tightly when the scholarship announcement was made last August.

Now, Selvi's parents can rest more easily as she begins her undergraduate studies in industrial and process technology at the Institut Teknologi Kalimantan. They continuously express their pride and gratitude for their daughter's achievement.

Selvi and 14 other outstanding students from Kalimantan were selected as recipients of the full BSBK Scholarship Program for 2024. This scholarship covers tuition fees (SPP/UKT), living expenses, environmental capacity development, Aksi Sobat Bumi and Desa Energi Berdikari Sobat Bumi (DEB SoBI).

Since childhood, Selvi has been raised in a family that never gives up. Unsurprisingly, she has a strong personality and aims high with her dreams. Her parents support each other in managing the household and selling goods to neighbors. "My mother views her job as her passion. Seeing her often wake up to serve customers motivates me to study harder and be more diligent," said Selvi, who previously attended SMAN 1 Balikpapan.

Throughout her school years, Selvi always strived to achieve the best results by joining advanced classes and becoming the top student. Since elementary school, she attended a favorite school in her hometown and brought honor to it by winning various Math and Science competitions at city, provincial, and even national levels. "I once achieved the highest score in a city-wide Try Out," she mentioned.

Before succeeding in the competitive BSBK scholarship selection, Selvi also developed her skills by participating in various competitions and organizations, such as the Red Cross Youth and the ID-NZ Youth Intercultural Program in 2023.

Her family had to set priorities, including education costs, to meet various living expenses. Thus, Selvi's selection as a BSBK recipient brought immense joy to her family, as it eased their financial burden. "I see the happy smiles and great hopes of my parents. I am very proud of myself," Selvi shared.

She is very grateful that the BSBK Program provides financial support and opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in environmental fields through Aksi Sobat Bumi and DEB SoBI. "Given our family's limited economic conditions and the opportunities offered by the BSBK Program, I aim to graduate with excellence and secure a job that can help support my family financially after graduation," Selvi stated.

This year marks the inaugural run of the BSBK Program, one of PHI's flagship CSR initiatives in education. The program aims to support Indonesia's 2045 Golden Vision by developing quality human resources. The BSBK Program is fully endorsed by PHI's subsidiaries, including PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), and PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT).

PHI's Manager of Communication Relations & CID, Dony Indrawan, said the BSBK Program is designed to help Kalimantan's children realize their hopes and achieve a better future. "The Sobat Bumi Kalimantan Scholarship is a form of PHI's commitment to continue to contribute to efforts to improve the quality of education by providing opportunities and access for potential regional children, especially from underprivileged families," said Dony.

PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) is part of Pertamina's Upstream Subholding, managing upstream oil and gas operations and business in Regional 3 Kalimantan according to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, with the vision of becoming a world-class oil and gas company. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates working with SKK Migas, PHI runs innovative Corporate Social Responsibility programs in Economics, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. For more information about PHI, visit (https://phi.pertamina.com).