The Journey of a Nation's Hope

My name is Agus Ja'far, born in Batang on August 17, 1991. I am 193 cm tall. Perhaps I am tall because I was born on the same day as Indonesia's Independence Day, coinciding with the raising of the sacred flag. Born to Maryam and Suroso, I was raised in Sidorejo Village, Warungasem District, Batang Regency, Central Java, by a family who understood the importance of education, even though my parents did not finish elementary school. Thus, my parents did not want their children to be uneducated. Since my father's passing on May 1, 1994, my mother had to work tirelessly to provide for her children. When my father passed away, I was not yet three years old. Being so young, I have no memories of him. To this day, there is only one photo of my father, still attached to his marriage certificate. That photo serves as a solace for my longing for my beloved father. My father had blurred vision, and so did I and my siblings. I am the youngest of four children; my siblings are Khunasim, Riskiyanti, and Abdul Rosyid. In this article, I will share the twists and turns of my educational journey, from the difficulties of schooling due to financial and physical limitations, to obtaining a full scholarship at a state university. Entering Raudhatul Atfal (RA) In 1997, I enrolled in RA Masyithoh in Sidorejo Village. I was considered fortunate at that time, as not all children could attend RA; most of my peers went directly to elementary school without first attending RA/kindergarten. Usually, RA children were picked up and dropped off by their parents, but I was entrusted to someone else who also took their child. I understood that my mother had to work to provide for me and my siblings, who were then still attending Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI). Of all the students at RA Masyithoh, I was the only one who couldn't receive my RA diploma because my mother couldn't afford to pay the administrative fees. Entering Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) After finishing my time at RA, I was enrolled in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Salafiyah (MIS) Sidorejo, in my beloved village. In the first grade, I was not promoted to the next class because I fell behind in my studies. At that time, my teachers did not yet understand that my vision was blurred. I didn't dare to tell my teachers about my eyesight. And I didn't wear glasses because my mother didn't have money to buy them. In the fourth grade, my teachers finally understood that my vision was blurred. During lessons, I couldn't see what was written on the blackboard. I had to copy notes from my friends' books. In the fifth grade, I managed to be among the top three in my class. By graduation, I achieved satisfactory grades. From then on, the headmaster suggested that I continue my education. However, my mother couldn't afford to send me to school. At that time, I sincerely accepted not continuing my education because I understood my mother's situation. I only prayed that I would receive the best according to Allah. Entering Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) Allah answered my prayers; on August 21, 2005, I was enrolled by a benefactor named H. Bakhir, who owned the largest chili plantation in my village at that time. Even though registration had closed and classes had already started in July, Praise be to Allah, I was accepted at Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs Tholabuddin Masin). In the second semester of ninth grade, a teacher from MTs Tholabuddin bought me glasses. At that time, they wished to remain anonymous. To this day, those glasses are still well-maintained. I graduated from MTs Tholabuddin in 2008. Entering PSBN Wyata Guna Bandung After graduating from MTs Tholabuddin in 2008, I only helped my mother at home, essentially being unemployed for over a year. Because I had a desire to continue my education, I received information that there was a boarding school for students with special needs (SMALB) at PSBN Wyata Guna in Bandung. Without hesitation, I immediately rushed to complete the requirements. With recommendations from the Village Head, District Head, and even the Batang Regency Social Services, on December 27, 2009, I bravely traveled to Bandung and registered at PSBN Wyata Guna. However, my desire to study at SMALB was not fulfilled because the dormitory at PSBN Wyata Guna for formal programs was already full; there was only a dormitory for rehabilitation programs. If I still wanted to enroll in SMALB, the condition was that I had to live in a boarding house without receiving any facilities from PSBN Wyata Guna. Rather than returning empty-handed, I registered for the rehabilitation program at PSBN Wyata Guna, hoping to eventually enter SMALB and receive its facilities. While in Bandung, I underwent mental training because I was a shy person. I even became the chairman of the Ibnu Ummi Maktum Mosque Youth Brotherhood Forum (FUPPMI) in the Wyata Guna area. Later, I joined the Wyata Guna Client Student Organization. Additionally, I was briefly involved with the Indonesian Muslim Blind Association (ITMI) in Bandung City. I stayed at PSBN Wyata Guna for only eight months and attended computer classes. During my time at Wyata Guna, I learned Braille and eventually became proficient in reading and writing it. Since my goal in Bandung was to continue to SMALB, and various efforts had ultimately failed, I decided five days before Eid al-Fitr in 2010 to return to my hometown and not come back to Bandung. Entering Madrasah Aliyah (MA) After returning from Bandung, I continued my education at Madrasah Aliyah (MA Tholabuddin Masin), which was under the same foundation as MTs Tholabuddin. At that time, the headmaster was Drs. Mubarok MR. On October 2, 2010, I was accepted at MA Tholabuddin Masin, three months late for registration. My friends at MA Tholabuddin, who were already in 12th grade and from the same batch as MTs Tholabuddin, welcomed my arrival. At this school, I served as the Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Student Association (IPNU), became the Editor-in-Chief of Expressi MA Tholabuddin Magazine, and joined the Student Council (OSIS). Academically, I was always among the top three in my class until graduation, except for the first semester of 10th grade, where I ranked last due to my late enrollment. My motivation was my interest in the Bidikmisi scholarship from DIKTI, which offered full tuition-free education and a monthly allowance of IDR 600,000. Therefore, from the very beginning of my time at MA Tholabuddin, I was motivated to study hard to prepare myself to receive this Bidikmisi scholarship. While studying at MA Tholabuddin, I joined the Almubarok rebana group. In 2012, my group won second place in the student-level rebana competition across Batang Regency and second place in the general-level rebana competition across Pekalongan Residency. I was once asked by a friend if I would continue to university. I replied that if I was studying at MA Tholabuddin, it meant I had a strong desire to pursue higher education. Regardless of where the tuition fees would come from, I was confident that Allah would provide a way as long as I was willing to strive. With that spirit, I graduated from MA Tholabuddin in 2013. Entering Universitas Negeri Semarang Entering Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) was full of twists and turns. Before being accepted at UNNES, I had applied to other state universities. My priority was a university that offered a full scholarship. My mother gave me the freedom to either work or study, but she couldn't promise to fully fund my university education. Since I was given this freedom, besides trying to apply to universities, I also tried to apply for a job as an employee at a sarong company in Pekalongan. However, I was not accepted by the company due to my poor eyesight. I accepted the company's rejection, confident that Allah would provide the best. It turned out to be true; two days after the company's rejection, I was accepted at UNNES through the written SBMPTN (Joint Selection for State University Admission) pathway. Before taking the SBMPTN, I attended a tutoring program organized by the Mata Air Foundation. This tutoring process lasted one month and was held at the Almunawwir Gringsing Islamic Boarding School in Batang Regency. I was interested in this tutoring because it was free, from the learning process, food and drinks during my stay at the dormitory, to the shuttle service during the SBMPTN examination at Diponegoro University Semarang. After being accepted at UNNES and receiving the Bidikmisi scholarship, I was amazed by Allah's power in orchestrating my destiny. This was because the maximum age requirement for Bidikmisi scholarship applicants was 21, and I was exactly 21 years old. If I had been 22, it would likely have been difficult to get the Bidikmisi scholarship. From that point, I was grateful for Allah's blessings. Behind my educational journey, which involved waiting for a benefactor to attend MTs Tholabuddin, then having to study at PSBN Wyata Guna Bandung, delaying my entry to MA Tholabuddin for two years, and even being three months late for registration—all of this had a purpose. Allah had planned the best for me. As someone from the visually impaired community, I want to contribute, even in a small way. In my first semester, I participated in a sports competition for people with disabilities, the Central Java Provincial Paralympic Sports Week (PEPARPROV) in 2013, and I successfully won second place in the 100-meter sprint and third place in the long jump. I used the prize money from the Batang Regency Government for winning the competition to buy a laptop to support my studies. In my second semester, I successfully passed the Student Creativity Program for Community Service (PKM-M) with the theme of Braille Quran literacy training for the visually impaired. Praise be to Allah, it was funded by DIKTI. Additionally, I joined the Student Executive Board of the Faculty of Education (BEM FIP), Department of Environment and Community (LINMAS). Since I noticed that UNNES did not yet have a Special Education major, I initiated, along with friends from the LINMAS department, the creation of the “Community for Children with Special Needs.” Praise be to Allah, quite a few students joined this community. Such is the journey of a nation's hope until today. Now, I, the nation's hope, will continue this journey to sincerely dedicate myself and serve the country. *END*