Samarinda— The Sobat Bumi Kalimantan Scholarship Program (BSBK) by PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) has become a bridge for students from underprivileged families in Kalimantan to access higher education. Thanks to the BSBK Program, the hopes of scholarship recipients remain alive as they pursue their dreams for a brighter future. PHI partners with the Pertamina Foundation to implement this program.

One BSBK scholarship recipient is Muhammad Ilham, a student from Samarinda who is now studying civil engineering at Mulawarman University. As the eldest of two siblings, Ilham grew up in a loving family despite financial limitations. His father works as a private employee, while his mother manages the household. His younger brother, who just graduated from elementary school, is now continuing his education at a Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs).

Ilham’s parents, who only completed elementary school, always encouraged him to pursue the highest education possible. “Education is your path to reaching your dreams” is a phrase from his parents that Ilham remembers well. This advice motivates him never to give up, even when facing challenges or difficulties.

During the scholarship selection process, Ilham’s parents ensured a calm home environment so he could focus. His close friends also supported and studied with him, and he feels deeply grateful for the strong support from his family and friends.

Dony Indrawan, PHI’s Manager of Communication Relations & CID, expressed that the BSBK Program is part of PHI’s commitment to improving educational quality for communities around its operational areas. “We believe that education opens up better opportunities for future generations to succeed,” he stated.

Dony added that PHI and its subsidiaries are committed to carrying out innovative and sustainable CSR programs to adhere to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ilham and 14 other top Kalimantan students were selected as full scholarship recipients in the 2024 BSBK Program. The scholarship provides funding for tuition fees and living expenses, as well as support for environmental capacity-building programs, Sobat Bumi Action, and the Independent Energy Village (DEB SoBI) initiative.

This year marks the inaugural implementation of the BSBK Program, one of PHI’s flagship CSR initiatives in education. The program aims to support Indonesia’s Golden Generation 2045 through quality human resource development. PHI subsidiaries, including PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), and PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT), fully support the program.

“With this scholarship, I hope the recipients can reach their highest dreams and give back to all those who opened this opportunity for students from underprivileged backgrounds,” Ilham shared. He is committed to using the scholarship to meet his academic needs and personal development, aiming to fulfill his aspirations in civil engineering. Ilham wants to be a living example of how big dreams can be achieved with determination and family support. “It’s not always easy, but that’s life. Be strong because better days lie ahead,” he added.

While in high school, Ilham actively participated in extracurricular activities in biology, mathematics, and chemistry. One of his proudest achievements was organizing a school anniversary event attended by over 2,000 people and featuring an artist from Jakarta.

Ilham dreams of elevating his family’s status. He hopes to become a businessman or contractor. With the BSBK scholarship, Ilham aims to ease his family’s financial burden so his parents can focus on his younger brother’s education.

PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) is part of Pertamina’s Upstream Subholding, managing upstream oil and gas operations and business in Regional 3 Kalimantan in line with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles as it pursues its vision to become a world-class oil and gas company. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates in collaboration with SKK Migas, PHI implements innovative Corporate Social Responsibility programs in the fields of Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.