Bakti Barito Foundation Expands STiR Programme to Malaka District with New Five-Year MoU

Jakarta, 21 May 2024  – Bakti Barito Foundation, through Yayasan Bakti Pendidikan Unggul (YBPU), has formally entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaka district. This agreement marks the expansion of the STiR programme in the East Nusa Tenggara province, with Malaka becoming the third district following North Central Timor (TTU) and South Central Timor (TTS) districts. 

The collaboration between Bakti Barito Foundation, STiR Education, and Malaka district reaches all educational stakeholders across the district, including the District Education Agency (Dinas Pendidikan), school supervisors, principals, teachers and students. The goal is to cultivate instructional leadership among supervisors and principals, fostering professional learning communities for teachers, known locally as Komunitas Belajar in Indonesia. This holistic approach acknowledges the significance of supporting the entire educational ecosystem, going beyond individual teachers, to facilitate sustainable improvement. 

Juniarius Boko, the Head of Malaka's Education and Culture Agency, expressed strong support for the partnership, saying, "We're thrilled to begin our program in Malaka. Improving the quality of educators is vital, and we know we can't do it alone. Partnering with organisations like YBPU-STiR is key to making a real difference. I'm confident that together, we'll make big progress in improving education in Malaka."

Dian A. Purbasari, the Director of Bakti Barito Foundation, shared her enthusiasm for the expansion, saying, "This collaboration highlights our dedication to improving education across Indonesia. By empowering educators and building strong learning communities, we aim to create lasting benefits for students and the community. Together with STiR Education, we are committed to fostering educational excellence in Malaka.”

Yoni Nurdiansyah, the Executive Director of the STiR Programme, was present during the MOU signing. “We are extremely honoured to have the strong commitment of the government of Malaka and the Education and Culture Agency. We look forward to working closely with the education leaders in Malaka and create strong professional learning communities for school supervisors, school principals and teachers, so that they will improve their practice and move together in a journey that drives the student learning outcome, with our vision to create a world where teachers love teaching and children love learning.”

About STiR Education

STiR Education is an international NGO that supports education systems in reigniting intrinsic motivation, ensuring that every child, teacher, and official is motivated to learn and improve. At a practical level, this means we assist governments in rekindling intrinsic motivation among teachers and local officials through teacher networks. Our vision is a world where teachers love teaching, and children love learning. We have been working in Indonesia since 2022 and currently reach 14,789 teachers and 212,957 students across five districts.

About Bakti Barito Foundation

Established in 2011, Bakti Barito Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Barito Pacific, an integrated energy company with diversified subsidiaries such as Chandra Asri, Star Energy Geothermal, Griya Idola, and more. Guided by the enduring commitment of our founders, Prajogo Pangestu and his wife Harlina Tjandinegara, the foundation is dedicated to addressing Indonesia's environmental and educational challenges through collaborative initiatives with our partners and the communities we serve.

Media contact: info@baktibarito.com, rrawinda@stireducation.org