Tanoto Foundation Supports the Development of Indonesia’s Future Leaders

Jakarta, October 20, 2017 – Badan Pusat Statistik (Central Bureau of Statistics) notes that in March 2017, the number of poor people in Indonesia reached 27.77 million, or 10.64% of the total population. This condition of poverty is not only the responsibility of the government, but it becomes a common challenge, including to private institutions.

As a private philanthropic institution, Tanoto Foundation has a vision of being a center of excellence in poverty alleviation efforts through three strategies, namely Education, Empowerment, and Quality of Life Improvement. The Tanoto Foundation’s vision is in alignment with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are among others Objective 1, Alleviation of poverty; Goal 3, Healthy living; Goal 4, Quality education; and Goal 6, Availability of clean water and sanitation.

“Education is the key in breaking the poverty chain between generations. Good education, will also produce good leaders. Taking part in developing Indonesia’s future leaders is a mandate of the founder of Tanoto Foundation, Mr. Sukanto Tanoto and Mrs. Tinah Bingei Tanoto. To implement this message of our founders, Tanoto Foundation provides support through various scholarship programs, “said Belinda Tanoto, a member of the Tanoto Foundation Board of Trustees, at the Tanoto Foundation Scholarship Signing Agreement in Jakarta on October 20, 2017.

“Pak Sukanto Tanoto did not complete his formal education because he had to help his parents. But he upholds two principles, which are first, always learn in every opportunity and second, do not give up easily in the face of difficulties. By upholding these two principles, Pak Sukanto Tanoto has succeeded in developing and leading his business, the Royal Golden Eagle Group, into a world-class corporation, “said Belinda Tanoto.

As a form of support to the development of future leaders, Tanoto Foundation provides scholarships to university students who have outstanding performance but are experiencing economic obstacles. This scholarship program for undergraduate (S1) and postgraduate (S2) levels partners with 35 public and private universities in Indonesia.

To date, more than 3,200 students have received Tanoto Foundation scholarship support. For 2017 admissions, the Tanoto Foundation provides scholarships to more than 350 students. The Tanoto Foundation scholarship recipients, known as Tanoto Scholars, not only receive support in meeting education costs but also various soft skill training to improve their capacity, such as in public speaking, presentations, as well as team leadership and teamwork skills.

Tanoto Scholars are also encouraged to carry out social activities within the Tanoto Scholars Association (TSA) in their respective areas of study locations. The goal is to improve the social caring attitude that is one of the requirements for becoming a good leader. Activities that have been running include Ransel Baca (Reading Backpack) by Tanoto Scholars at Hasanuddin University, Bina Desa (Village Mentoring) by Tanoto Scholars at the Institut Pertanian Bogor (Bogor Agriculture Institute), TSA Teaching by Tanoto Scholars at Mulawarman University, and many more.