Jakarta. The National Development Planning Agency Bappenas called on Tanoto fellows to contribute to their local communities.

Bappenas youth director Didik Darmanto recently attended the 2025 Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Programme Cohort graduation ceremony in Jakarta.

Speaking to the young audience, Didik highlighted the need to prepare future leaders who can drive social development and sustainably enhance human capital quality. Beyond professional competence, future leaders must understand societal issues, work across sectors, and commit to creating long-term impact. Direct experience engaging with development challenges plays a vital role in shaping these perspectives and capabilities.

Consequently, developing young talent requires not only learning spaces but also opportunities for direct experience, collaboration, and contribution. Fieldwork enables young people to bridge the gap between knowledge and community needs, grasp local contexts, and develop relevant, sustainable initiatives.

“Contributing doesn’t have to start with something grand. In fact, we can begin with
local movements that have a tangible impact — starting from the smallest points right around us,” Didik said.

“The Tanoto Fellows can immerse themselves directly for a year, gaining social capital—such as
networks and the ability to understand the community's socio-cultural aspects—from this
program. I hope they can apply this experience when they return to their communities,
ensuring that the initiatives they build truly align with needs on the ground,” Didik added.

Hands-on field experience is a crucial part of the journey for the 10 individuals joining the Tanoto
Fellow Cohort 2025, who spent a year engaged in various education projects across
Sumatra, Java, Riau, and Kalimantan.

They worked alongside local governments, communities, and various stakeholders to strengthen literacy and numeracy, early childhood education, and the development of learning materials based on local contexts.

Tanoto Foundation's head of learning environment, M Ari Widowati, said that the knowledge and skills acquired during the program held greater value when they can be applied to benefit others beyond the program itself.

“This fellowship is not just about what we gain from the program, but also about what we
can do with what we have learned. The experience, knowledge, and skills acquired over the
year become meaningful when they are used to benefit others,” Ari said.

The Tanoto Foundation Fellowship Programme enables  young people to gain the opportunity
to develop leadership skills through hands-on experience, obtain a close-up understanding
of social issues, and learn to collaborate with various stakeholders to drive relevant and sustainable change.

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