I was born and raised in Kertek, Wonosobo. Call me Danur to be more familiar. I have a strong determination to pursue my dreams despite my limitations. I am the only person in my extended family who has managed to continue my education to university level. I have achieved all of this because of my own life experiences. My parents did not even finish primary school, my siblings only completed secondary school, and none of them went to university. This is what motivates me to move forward and succeed. My mother still works as a farmer, while my father passed away when I was in secondary school.
Armed with the belief that education would improve my life, my family’s life, and the lives of those around me, I managed to overcome my fear of dreaming big and continued my studies at one of the best universities in Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, through a scholarship programme, majoring in Agricultural Engineering at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology.
Intending to change my fate, I tried my luck by looking for a scholarship. While studying at UGM, I was able to live independently without any financial support from my parents.
During my studies, I didn’t want to rely solely on scholarship money to cover my educational needs and living expenses while at university.
I participated in and won various contests and competitions while also starting to develop the CV AL Baraka Gama Food business. During my time as a KSE scholarship recipient, I participated in many Student Creativity Programmes in the field of food-based entrepreneurship and community service activities, one of which involved processing local resources to add value.
In the field of community empowerment, some of the projects I have worked on include:
● Economic-based Community Empowerment for Bantul Earthquake Victims through a Banana Chip Processing Business Programme in Ponggok Hamlet, Bambanglipuro Subdistrict.
● Optimisation of Integrated Coconut Processing in Tersan Gede Village, Salam District, Magelang Regency.
● Mentored Village in Papringan Hamlet, located on the banks of the Gajah Wong River in Yogyakarta.
● Trauma Healing Programme for Merapi Eruption Victims in Gondang Pusung Hamlet, Cangkringan, Yogyakarta.
● Social Action with NGOs (BSMI and Sahabat Ibu Foundation).
and many others.● Economic-based Community Empowerment for Bantul Earthquake Victims through a Banana Chip Processing Business Programme in Ponggok Hamlet, Bambanglipuro Subdistrict.
● Optimisation of Integrated Coconut Processing in Tersan Gede Village, Salam District, Magelang Regency.
● Mentored Village in Papringan Hamlet, located on the banks of the Gajah Wong River in Yogyakarta.
● Trauma Healing Programme for Merapi Eruption Victims in Gondang Pusung Hamlet, Cangkringan, Yogyakarta.
● Social Action with NGOs (BSMI and Sahabat Ibu Foundation).
and many others.
The community has greatly benefited from my business initiative. I believe that the knowledge I have gained will be of even greater benefit if it is passed on to many people.
Not only that, I was also active and achieved success in organisational work. One example was when I served as Minister of Social Affairs and Community Relations for the UGM Student Executive Board and received the Nusantara Activist Scholarship (Bakti Nusa) along with other top activists at UGM.
I also won the Indonesian Young Islamic Leader Awards International Moslem Students Summit (IMSS) Award, which was held in Bandung at the time, and I was the only woman at the event. I won the Bank Syariah Mandiri (BSM) EDUcation-AWARD competition in 2012 for successfully raising the profile of a remote primary school in a teak forest in the Blora Regency, Central Java.
To this day, I am determined to spread the education and knowledge I have to communities in remote areas of the country. I believe that the more educated the community is, the more it can contribute positively to the progress of the nation.
Teaching or educating is the transmission of inspiration and knowledge, and inspiring is the duty of a leader. My hope is very simple: at least in every sub-district in Wonosobo, there should be a learning centre that can serve as a place for children to study. There should be learning gardens and reading gardens there.
My efforts in supporting education in remote areas led me to win the Gadjah Mada Award in the category of best social activist for my social contributions to the community.
After continuing my master’s degree in Agribusiness Management through the BPPDN Dikti Lecturer Candidate scholarship programme, I worked as a researcher at the Working Group for Indonesian Competitiveness (KKDSI) at Gadjah Mada University.
Despite all my activities, I am still trying to establish an agribusiness-based Islamic boarding school.