Sail Indonesia

Page updated June 21 2021

Sail Indonesia University of Kupang Scholarship Program

This program was begun by Sail Indonesia participants Rob and Dee Dubin sailing on the yacht Ventana in 2006 and thanks to the generosity of Sail Indonesia rally participants since that time and other donors, the Kupang University Scholarship has now been running continuously since that time. At this time there are 10 students enrolled in our program and they are studying at Nusa Cendana the University of Kupang in their chosen field of study.

Indonesia is a wonderful country but educational opportunities for many people is sometimes not available. The students pictured below would not have been able to follow their chosen course of study without help from this scholarship program, as the cost of university education is well beyond the reach of their families.

All money received by Sail Indonesia for the the scholarship program is paid directly to each of the students, there are no costs for administration or any fees as all work is done by volunteers. Approximately $150 AUD is used each year to pay for the bank charges, transport, email, internet and phone costs for the Scholarship Coordinator in Kupang who administers the program in Kupang.

All the students continued, sometimes slowly to progress in their chosen courses of study. 2011 was a major milestone, as the first three students selected in 2007 graduated and other students were then selected to enter the program to take their place. The process of students completing 4 years of study is slow but this steady stream of graduating students is one of the most important parts of the Sail Indonesia program of events.

Sumiati (Yati) Djamal Assa
Teacher - Chemistry

Margaretha N. Beggo
Teacher - Chemistry

Yuliana Amelia Jehaman
Public Health Administration

Sumiati (Yati) Djamal Assa Teacher,Chemistry Graduated 2011

Margaretha N. Beggo
Teacher, Chemistry Graduated 2012

Yuliana Amelia Jehaman
Public Health Graduated 2012

2008 Scholarship Recipients

Yolvina (Yolvin) Elizabeth Bimusu
Teacher English

Merryanti (Merry) Rihileo
Electro Technology

Yolvina (Yolvin) Elizabeth Bimusu
Teacher English Graduated 2013

Merryanti Rihileo (R)
Electro Technology Graduated 2014

2010 Scholarship Recipients

Apri Yatri Bisslissin
Civics

Kornelis (Umbul) Koda
Teacher English

Frengky Henuk
Accounting

Apri Yatri Bisslissin
Civics Graduated 2015

Kornelis (Umbul) Koda
Teacher Endlish Graduated 2014

Frengky Henuk Accounting
Graduated 2014 Cum Laude

2011 Scholarship Recipients

Yandri Ade Tuka Rohi
Veterinary Science Graduated March 2016

2012 Scholarship Recipients

Apriance Salang
Teacher - Mathematics

Asry Adolfina Oematan
Medicine - Nursing

Mercy Kamengko
Teacher - Mathematics

Apriance Salang
Graduated September 2017

Mercy Kamengko
Mathematics Graduated February 2017

2013 Scholarship Recipients

Ananias Bees
Teacher English

Wehelmina Kana
Mathematics

Ananias Bees
Teacher English - Graduated March 2016

Wehelmina Kana
Mathematics Graduated December 2017

2014 Scholarship Recipients

Jack Huwae
Teaching and Education

Cindy Conny
Communications

Magdelena Tuto
Science

Magdelena Tuto
Science Graduated 2017

Anna Afriyanti Otemusu
Public Health - Nutrition

Yorsinga (Uni) Saekoko
Sociology

Merianti (Siska) Oematan
School Teacher

Yorsinga (Uni) Saekoko
Sociology Graduated August 2019

Merianti (Siska) Oematan
Graduated February 2021

2016 Scholarship Recipients

Milo Amitaran
English Teacher

Nofita Niuflapu
Chemistry

Jitro L. Tarri
Sports Teacher

Jitro L. Tarri
Sports Teacher Graduated January 2019

2017 Scholarship Recipients

Cintia Rebeka
Public Administration

Meti Marni Mariana Tefi
Religious Education

Jermia (Jamie) Mone
Tourism and Hospitality

August 2017
Two more students were invited into the progam, as always the student's progress slowly moves along.

February 2017
Mercy Kamengko graduted in February of this year and Maydiani (Happy) Kurniasih and Anna Otemusu are expected to graduate this year. This year in Kupang while the yachts are in town more students will be admitted into the program

January 2016
This year begins with the graduation of Apri Yatri Bisslissin in Civics. All students in the program were given Rp1,100,000 to pay for their registration for 2016 to enable them to continue with their studies. This year Jack, Sherly and Happy will graduate.

August 2015
The student group was presented on stage at the Kupang Mayors welcome Dinner at Kupang's beachside Beer and Barrel resuaraunt and hotel complex. Each student was given Rp1,100,000 for the following semester -Anna Afriyanti Otemusu was awarded a scholarship but no new students were taken into the program until some of the present sudents graduate. As you can see from the pictures above each of the students are making their way through their studies and graduating - some with high distinction.

February 2015
2015 marked another important year with the graduation of Merry Rihileo and Kornelis Koda who are now arranging jobs in ther chosen professions.
Asri Adolfina Oematan also graduated in 2015 after only a short time as she been in training as a nurse for some time in Kupang, this scholarship has enabled her to go to a hospital in Bali to complete her final practical trainng.

July 2014
As in each previous semester the students were paid their Scholarship at the Kupang Mayor's welcome dinner held to welcome the 2014 Sail Indonesia yachts and their crews - as always it is a slow process with the students studying and slowly moving through their courses until they finally graduate. At this time there was an amount of $2300 AUD held in trust by Sail Indonesia.

February 2014
Things move slowly and late in 2013 Yolvina Elizabeth Bimusu graduated in English. In February each student had passed their last semester exams and again was paid an equivalent of $120 AUD to continue their studies.

July 2013
All the students are working slowly and steadily through their chosen courses of study and most importantly passing all their subjects. The students were presented on the stage at the opening ceremony and dinner for Sail Indonesia - Sail Komodo at the Subasuka Coastal Resort in Kupang - in front of around 1500 (one thosand five hundred) invited guests that included the Sail Indonesia participants and group from the Jakarta Central Government led by The Minister of Peoples Welfare - Agung Laksono. One of our former students (English) Miss Yolvina Bimusu gave a speech to the guests explaining the Scholarship Program and expressing thanks to everybody who had supported them on behalf of all the program members. Each student was given Rp 1,200,000 - approximately $120 to assist with their studies for the following semester.

February 2013
All the students are progressing well and passed their exams at the end of 2012 and all the students were given the equivalent of $120 AUD to pay their university fees for the first semester of 2013. We expect two more students to graduate for this year and of course these will be replaced by others. The rally participants who visit Kupang this year will have the opportunity to meet with the students in July.

August 2012
All students were progressing well and passed their exams in the previous semester in their chosen fields of study. Each student in the program was given an amount of Rp 1,100.000 (around $125 AUD) to pay for the following semester. In July while the yachts were in Kupang all the scholarship students were presented on stage to the rally participants at the Mayors Gala Dinner and a thank you speech on behalf of all the students was made by one of the students Miss Yolvina Bismisu. This year is an important milestone in our program with the first three students who entered our program in 2007 having graduated and moved off into employment and have been replaced by new students.

January 2012
All students passed their last semester in 2011 and were all advancing well in their chosen courses of study, an amount of $900 AUD was sent to Kupang and each student was given Rp 1,100,000 (around $115 AUD) to pay for the next semester that began in February.

July 2011
The Sail Indonesia Scholarship program was changed in July of 2011 on the advice of several University lecturers and the Vice Rector, Mr Maxamillian Kapa and this has simplified and streamlined the administration work involved in managing the program.
Rather than a complex system of calculating individual costs each individual student an amount of Rp1,100,000 around $120 AUD is paid directly to each studentnmat the beginning of each of the February and August semesters. This money assists with course registration, books, stationary and transport. At the conclusion of each semester each student receives their grade (Transcripsi Nilai) and when they receive a passing grade they are paid for the following semester.

March 2011
The program was running well and all students are progressing well in their chosen fields of study. New students will be inducted into the program in July to replace the first three students who will graduate later this year. There was an administrative delay and Sumiyati Yassa and Margaretha Beggo will now not graduate until mid 2012.

November 2010
There were some administrative problems in Kupang as the the people managing the program in Kupang were no longer able to continue to assist. As a result, the bank accounts in Kupang were closed. The program was now managed directly from Australia and the selection of students would continue to be based on the advice of University Lecturers.
This year, Geoff Wilson donated $400, the amount of $454 was raised from donations from the fleet of yachts that went to Kupang and $196 was raised from a raffle drawn on the farewell Barbeque with prizes generously donated by JR Duty Free, making a total income of $1050 for 2010.
Three more students were added to the program. A total of $630 was paid to the five students in the program and the three new students entering the program were paid a total $337 to begin their first semester of study.

February 2010
Sail Indonesia did not visit Kupang in 2009. However, 13 yachts chose to donate $25 to the fund anyway. This added a total of $325 to the fund. In August 2009, the fund received an anonymous donation of $715. This amount was sent direct to the bank account in Kupang to cover the student's costs for the second part of 2009.
Late in 2009, Geoff Wilson the author of 101 Anchorages again donated $500. At that time the University Scholarship fund had an amount of Rp 4,200,000 (around $500 AUD) in the Kupang branch of the Bank Mandiri which is used to cover incidental student expenses.

February 2009
At the beginning of 2008 $2795 was held in trust in an Australian Bank account that had been collected in 2007, in July of 2008 $1248 was sent to Kupang to pay for the students coming into the program in 2008, 39 of the yachts in Sail Indonesia chose to add $25 to their entry fee making a total of $975, Dave and Judy Howel on the Grainger Cat Freebird took on the job of raising funds from the fleet in Darwin and due to their efforts a total of $635 was raised at the pre-rally Technical Meeting in Darwin, and a further $304 was raised in Kupang. In 2008 the author of 101 Anchorages Geoff Wilson donated a further $800 making the total funds held in trust in Australia of $4267 at September 2008.

Scholarship Group 2006
L-R Nita Liwulangi, Rob Dubin, Kupang University Rektor
Frans Datta, Dee Dubin and Selvey Mbuik.

Miss Nita Liwulangi.

The Origins of the Sail Indonesia Kupang University Scholarship, Rob and Dee Dubin sailing on Ventana in 2006

Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the world after China, India and the US, it has high levels of unemployment, lack of basic infrastructure and often effected by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.

Like many of the rally boats we had previously sailed to a great many countries and did our best to donate school books, clothes, pens and pencils for the kids and such but7 in reality these efforts are not even a band aid for what's necessary. At best we help a few kids for a short period of time but I doubt our efforts have any long lasting effect or help to improve the country in any way.

We expected our arrival in Indonesia to be the same, however when we arrived in Kupang, Indonesia we received an unbelievable welcome from the entire city with dinners held in our honor by the Mayor and Governor, and nightly entertainments held on our behalf. Also on hand to meet us were a dozen university students who wanted to improve their English by acting as our volunteer guides around this good size city. During the week we were there our guides helped us with everything from organizing engine repairs to translating to explaining how to cook the unfamiliar fruits and vegetables in the markets.

Our guide, Nita Liwulangi, spoke excellent English and was one of the most intelligent and dynamic young women we have ever met, had she been born in the US she would no doubt be on a full ride scholarship to the university of her choice. Her family could not afford the annual $170 USD fee to send her to Kupang's University but fortunately she had been awarded a scholarship in Kupang.

We realized there must be many other students like Nita who would miss out on a university education for the lack of $170 per term I thought maybe we finally had a chance to really make a difference and fortunately some of the other cruisers in the rally felt the same way.

As a group we decided to see what was possible, the result was astounding. In less than a week we began a program to help bright but needy students get to university; met with the University Director and received his agreement to hold space open for students we sponsor and to waive the usual government red tape for them, We met with the Headmasters of several High Schools and selected 2 schools for our initial program; set up a selection process based upon the criteria we designed and we have already raised enough money to provide a complete 4-5 year university education for 4 students starting next year.

As the rally visits Kupang with new boats every year, it is our plan was that 4 more students would be added each year so by year 5 we should be funding a minimum of 20 students, 4 in each year of University.The scholarship selections will be supervised by the headmaster and headmistress of the high schools and will be overseen by a review committee we have put in place to assure impartiality. The scholarships will only go to needy families and in our first year we will be awarding two scholarships for students in the sciences and two for students in language.

The goal is to see these kids through to graduation in the sciences and languages so as long as the students maintain a 3.0 GPA they can continue through all 4 or 5 years of university. If we fund them for their entire university education they will be urged to stay in Kupang or their local village for at least 2 years after school to give back to their community.

The Sail Indonesia rally usually arrive arrive one month before the selected students actually begin university and at the Welcome Dinner and Awards Ceremony the rally participants can meet the selected students and officially present the Scholarships to each new recipient. The University Director would be at the dinner to receive the monies and officially welcome the students. We feel confident that this program can really make a difference in these students lives, their communities and eventually their country. For us and all the rally participants it is good to know that for a change we are leaving more behind us than our boat's wake.

We urge all rally participants donate to the Scholarship Program, we are hoping for a minimum of $25 per boat to continue and expand the program. You may wish to stay involved in a helping one student through you can donate to the Scholarship Fund by simply adding your donation it to your Rally Entry Fee, or if you prefer when you arrive in Darwin or Kupang.