JAKARTA, Indonesia — Sixty-five students from remote and mountainous areas of Papua have arrived at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta after a seven-day sea journey from Jayapura, as they prepare to continue their education in Tangerang.
The students were welcomed by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ribka Haluk, who represented Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian.
Haluk welcomed the students and expressed appreciation to all parties involved in providing educational opportunities for children from some of Papua’s most remote communities.
She said she had followed the education program run by the Papua Hope Education Foundation (YPHP) since 2023. The program provides students with educational support beginning at junior high school level, including accommodation in dormitories and assistance to continue their studies through university.
“So once they are recruited from junior high school, they are provided with dormitories and everything else, and they are also supported all the way through to university. This is extraordinary work,” Haluk said in a press statement on Tuesday (Aug. 11, 2026).
Haluk said providing access to further education for children from Papua’s remote and mountainous regions presented significant challenges, particularly because of difficult geographical conditions and limited access to infrastructure and transportation.
“I can only express my gratitude on behalf of all the people of Papua. I said earlier that this is not easy, a task that breaks through boundaries,” she said.
She also urged the students to make the most of the opportunity by taking their studies seriously and adapting to their new surroundings while studying in Tangerang.
“I hope you study well here. Leave behind all the habits from back home,” Haluk said.
The 65 students, ranging from seventh to 10th grade, come from several areas of Papua, including Nalca, Korupun, Danowage, Daboto, Mokndoma, Waisai, Sentani and Tarup.
They were accompanied during the journey by 32 people, including religious workers, teachers, doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.
Under the YPHP program, the students will continue their education at SLH Gunung Moria in Tangerang after completing their basic education in their respective hometowns.
The program is designed not only to provide access to secondary education but also to create opportunities for students from remote parts of Papua to continue their studies at university level.
The initiative reflects efforts to expand educational access for children in Papua, where geographical isolation and limited infrastructure have long posed challenges to education and human resource development.
