Winning a Gold Medal.
If we type the keywords “Wiwin Dwi Jayanti” on Google, surely a woman wearing a headscarf will appear, either giving a speech at the Gereja Kristen Indonesia Sulung – Surabaya, or holding a trophy. Yes, that’s Wiwin Dwi Jayanti, who recently went viral on social media and the internet because she won the 2023 Indonesian Independence Science competition, achieving a Gold Medal.
Delving into the presence of Wiwin in GKI Sulung Surabaya reveals her life experiences, where there was a significant contribution from the congregants of GKI Sulung towards her. The testimonial stories began when Wiwin encountered difficulties in continuing her education at the junior high school level.
Amidst the economic challenges faced by her family in covering the expenses for junior high school education, a “water seller” visited their house. Since it was daytime, without hesitation, this water seller inquired with Wiwin’s parents, “Why isn’t she in school?” From that moment, everything unfolded, and this man suggested enrolling Wiwin in SMP Kristen Baithani Tutur, as the school not only had affordable fees but also offered scholarships for financially disadvantaged students.
The scholarship mentioned is the “Beasiswa Program Anak Asuh (PAA)”—one of the scholarship programs organized by GKI Sulung Surabaya. This program provides an opportunity for members of GKI Sulung to become foster parents for a student at Baithani School. Being called “Orang Tua Asuh” signifies the extension of care, attention, and financial support provided to the sponsored student at Baithani School.
Wiwin expressed her gratitude to the congregants of GKI Sulung from the pulpit. During her studies at SMP and SMA Kristen Baithani Tutur, she received assistance from the foster parent scholarship, which continuously motivated her to excel, leading to scholarships for her undergraduate (S1), master’s (S2), and currently her doctoral (S3) studies.
Although this is the second moment in her life meeting directly with the congregants of GKI Sulung, as she had previously shared her achievements at GKI’s pulpit ten years ago during her high school years, meeting them in person holds a special meaning and feeling for Wiwin. Her direct expression of gratitude to GKI Sulung left the congregants amazed and proud. The donations contributed through the Program Anak Asuh have yielded extraordinary results.
Currently, the Program Anak Asuh (PAA) is under the educational division of Yayasan Gapura Kalpataru Insan Sejahtera. The Program Anak Asuh continues to operate, providing support to students who will follow in the footsteps of individuals like Wiwin, thus giving rise to more success stories.
