The scholars participated in a three-month intensive course in Makassar, South Sulawesi’s capital city. The course, provided by a number of experienced trainers, covered a wide range of topics – from leprosy, human rights, and advocacy to proposal writing and English. The scholars were also involved in the field activities of the PerMaTa South Sulawesi–YDTI team and learned the ins and outs of NGO work.

Following the intensive course, the scholars developed and implemented their own small projects in their home towns. They also participated in further individual studies of their choice, which can help them earn a living and become even more professional activists. 

As a mentoring team, we accompanied the scholars on their not-always-easy path. Initially, three of the four scholars still suffered from frequent reactions. Two of them were able to persevere with greater self-confidence and ease of mind because of the peer support that they received as part of the Young Scholar Program. Unfortunately, one of them, our dear friend Fikrin, passed away as a consequence of his condition. 

All these experiences led to a very acute awareness among the scholars of the complex challenges faced by persons affected by leprosy in a world that assumes that leprosy is no longer a problem. Their dedication to addressing these challenges grew as a result of the program. Likewise, our own team at PerMaTa South Sulawesi benefitted from accompanying the scholars: As team members realized how far they had come already and how important they were as role models for their junior peers, they made progress in conquering their own self-stigma. A strong network among the young people was formed, which we hope to expand further with future scholar programs. 

For a small organization such as ours, the Young Scholar Program presented some challenges. We had to bring people from different areas in Indonesia together, and we had to find time for training sessions and mentoring in addition to our other activities. For the scholars, it was challenging to participate in the program while also taking care of other obligations related to livelihood and family. But everyone was happy to take on these challenges! The success of the scholar program in Indonesia has helped to secure the future of the individual scholars and further expanded and strengthened our rights-based leprosy movement. Thank you to the Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative for your support and trust in us.

Editor’s note: The application period for a second round of the Young Scholars Program closed on May 30, 2025. Following interviews, PerMaTa South Sulawesi–YDTI will announce results on June 30. For more information see https://ydti.org/project/current-project/shf-young-scholar-program/.