It has been decades since people thought of West Papua as “an underdeveloped province”.
Looking at it now, we might be surprised by some of the advances, especially in education and healthcare.
The Development in West Papua So Far
So, how is it so far? Last February 2023, West Papua had a visit from Rut Kruger Giverin, the Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia.
For her two-day visit, Giverin was observing the sustainable development of the locals’ economy there.
Giverin was eager to support the potential growth of cocoa and coffee farms in the South Manokwari and Arfak Districts. These farms can support the locals’ economy.
West Papua has received support from the Norwegian Government through several strategic projects. These projects are in areas like ecotourism, forestry, and healthcare.
This province is still working on their developments in several areas. So far, there have been surprising advances in education and healthcare.
Education in West Papua
Just this April 2023, more than 3,000 Papuan students received scholarships for higher education. Three of them are from autonomous regions (DOB).
They received these scholarships from the program called ‘ADIK’ (Afirmasi Pendidikan Tinggi or the Higher Education Affirmation).
These students who received the scholarships are currently studying in 97 public and private universities all across Indonesia.
They are studying in cities like Lhokseumawe, Bandung, Surabaya, Bogor, Jakarta, Bali, Kupang, Ambon, Makassar, and also Manado.
Annually, ADIK has been allocating a quota of scholarships for 400 students from Papua and West Papua. Last year in 2022, 315 students were granted scholarships as well.
The selection for the scholarship receivers began in mid-April. The scholarship program will provide IDR 10,000,000 (ten million rupiahs) for health insurance.
Each scholarship recipient will also receive monthly and tuition fees of IDR 1,500,000 (one million and five hundred thousand rupiahs).
So far, social and political sciences, economics, medicine, and engineering have been the favorite fields for scholarship students from ADIK.
This means, hopefully, they will emerge as future leaders, politicians, doctors, engineers, and many more. Perhaps, some of them might also be interested in starting their own business.
Then how about the development in terms of healthcare in West Papua?
Healthcare in West Papua
The Central Government (of Indonesia) had prepared 78.7 trillion rupiahs as the budget for the Master Plan for the Acceleration of Development in Papua in 2023.
The focus of the development from that budget is on health, education, and economy.
Before that, in December 2022, the Government of Arfak Mountains District had extended the UHC (Universal Health Coverage) work plan with BPJS or the Health Social Security Administration Agency for 2023.
According to Yosias Saroy, the Arfak Mountains Regent, the extension of this work plan was Pegaf Regency Government’s commitment in terms of ensuring public health services.
Yosias invited BPJS to help people to experience a decent, prosperous, and joyful life.
According to Rosani Yarangga, the Head of BPJS for Arfak Mountains District, universal health coverage has reached 95 percent so far.
This means 36,993 out of 38,941 people have their health insurance from BPJS.
Because of this achievement, many people who have been registered in BPJS are funded by the government.
They get to apply for a card called KIS (Kartu Indonesia Sehat or Indonesian Health Card). They can receive healthcare access without having to wait too long in the queuing line.
In short, this system helps people in West Papua to improve their health by gaining easier and quicker access to healthcare. This is a surprising advance compared to a decade ago or so.
Hope For The Better
West Papua has got some surprising advances so far, especially in terms of education and health. Hopefully, this is aiming toward something better. The Papuans may have a more prosperous life.
