YOU are the KEY

Ricky's Story. 

Ricky almost gave up on his dream to continue his schooling when money became an obstacle. However, opportunities side with those who do not give up. Now, Ricky starts to become successful. The key is to be patient.

The days of Ricky ********* are now filled with lectures. As a third year student in the faculty of Economics of Islamic University Attahiriyah, Jakarta, he must be good at managing his time to study. In addition to college, he must also work. Tired? Of course. But he got rid of all the obstacles. His determination to finish college is very strong. “I want to progress, because it is going to be really tough if I only graduated from high school. It is going to be difficult to attain a good career,” Ricky said. “Not to mention, people often do not take high school graduates seriously. I do not want that to happen to me,” he added.

The Story of the Past

Ricky was born in Jakarta on September 10, 1991. Sadly, he never had the affection from his mother not even one bit. He only had his dad, Asmadi (49), who was present as his only parent. Due to his effort to make a living for his son, Asmadi barely had time for Ricky, his only son. Ricky spent more time with his aunt than his dad.

Time passed, and Ricky started going to school. He went through primary school without any difficulties. Junior High also went smoothly for him. Unfortunately, in the second year, Asmadi started to find it difficult to afford Ricky’s education. The family’s financial difficulty made Ricky feel disappointed. “At that time, I felt that my chance of achieving my dream to get into my favorite high school was slim to none,” he recalled. Luckily, he never gave up. He continued to study diligently and graduated from junior high. However, finally Ricky's anxiety came forth. His father stated that he was no longer able to finance Ricky’s school. Meaning? As he already predicted, Ricky couldn’t continue his study at his favorite high school.

All the obstacles he faced, he regarded as a whip that enriched his experiences. "I am fortunate to have many acquaintances and neighbors, who gave me information about education in Rumah Belajar."

God blessed Ricky with an unbroken spirit. Although he could not continue formal schooling, he remained actively seeking for information. From friends and neighbors, he recognized non-formal education at the Teaching and Learning Activities Center (PKBM) in Kemanggisan, West Jakarta. It was in this PKBM that he met an attentive accounting teacher. "Mrs. Herlina told me about Rumah Belajar," Ricky said. Once he found out about Rumah Belajar established by YCAB Foundation, Ricky immediately enrolled. So from 2007-2010, Ricky became a student of Rumah Belajar Duri Kepa.

Ricky learned many lessons during his study in Rumah Belajar. One of them was to put aside prestige to get a better education. Ricky admitted that he often got rejection when he recommended his friends to continue their education in Rumah Belajar. "The reason being, there was Package C stated on the diploma. That's what made the diploma lose its credibility. But if you stopped going to school just because of prestige, nothing would ever change. While those who were already in school must be diligent in learning and foster self-motivation in order to be successful," said Ricky.

Self-motivating himself. That's what he never stops doing. After passing Package C from Rumah Belajar Duri Kepa, Ricky immediately tried his luck in the professional world. He encountered an unfriendly world, and it made him switch professions several times.

"I was once a salesperson at a material company, credit card marketing staff, and correspondent data manager at Rumah Belajar. I was once cheated. I was told to pay some money to get a job, and it turned out to be a hoax,” he said.

But it would be unlike Ricky if he were to give up. All these obstacles were regarded as a whip to enrich his experiences. When YCAB held a job fair, he signed up. Luckily, he was accepted as a call center staff of an insurance company. The income was good. He could finance his study. Now, Ricky works part-time, so he can still have time to study.

He does not want to succeed alone. Ricky could never forget the kindness of his aunt who took care of him all this time. "Currently, I am paying for my cousin’s school, my aunt's son. It was my way to give back to her, thanking her for caring for me like her own son," Ricky explained. To increase his earnings, Ricky runs a small business selling mobile phone accessories.

The Story of the Present.

The ups and downs working in the call center had made Ricky become a strong figure. He is in charge of answering questions, including receiving complaints. "Occasionally, there are difficult customers who speak harsh words," said Ricky. However, all are responded to wisely. "The key is patience. As a call center staff, I can only do the job in accordance with the standard operational procedure, and must remain polite to the customers. Moreover, everything I do to customers affects the good name of the company," he explained. Ricky is well aware that everything is a process. Although he feels fit to work in the service field, he thinks that he should continue to learn. "At first it was not easy, because I never knew anything about insurance. Fortunately, there was training in operating the program to read the customer policy," Ricky said.

All work must be done from the heart. The key is patience.

He adds knowledge with a lot of reading. His determination to be better than he is right now is strong. Learning experiences in Rumah Belajar makes Ricky's spirit always raging. He also enthusiastically helps Rumah Belajar. "I am never ashamed to admit that I am a graduate of Rumah Belajar and I am proud to have been a student here," he said. That's why he maintains a good relationship with the teachers at YCAB. "Including being willing to share my experiences with the new students. For now, that's all I can do for YCAB. I will never be someone who forgets his own roots," he concluded.