SLEMAN - The economic condition of the family that is not good enough almost dampened the intention of Abdul Rofik Budin to continue his education to college. The reason was that he was not sure his parents could afford to finance.

His father was dead when Rofik was 5 years old, practically all responsibility is taken over by his mother. The mother finances him and his three siblings by working as a cashew farmer. She harvests it once a year with sales income is around 3 - 5 million rupiahs.

"The money is for paying my siblings’ and my education fee, eating, and paying the debt at the food stalls," Rofiq said when he was met during the re-registration at UPN Condong Catur Campus on Tuesday (8/5/2018).

When the cashew harvest has ended, his mother works as a stone breaker. One cubic of stone is 50 thousand rupiahs. These pieces of stone usually are sold to companies or people who want to build a house.

"We still have rice for our daily food, Alhamdulillah. If we have some money, we buy vegetables or fish, but if we do not, we eat rice and drink black coffee, " he said softly.

During the school, I got help from the government and stayed with my brother in Poso.

The bidikmisi scholarship program encourages his spirit to achieve his dream to continue his higher education and delivers him to become one of the candidates of Information System Study Program at UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta through the National Selection of State University (SNMPTN) in 2018.

His journey to Jogjakarta was not an easy matter for the man born in Lafeu, 12 December 2000. He had to take a long journey from the house of his late father's Lafeu Village, Bungku Pesisir Subdistrict, Morowali District, Central Sulawesi.

"The distance between the city and my village is about three hours by a public transport. Then, to go to Poso I had to stay overnight in Bungku City. I went in the next morning for more or less 10 hours, " he said.

Arriving in Poso, the second child of 4 brothers had to travel about 6 hours road trip to the city of Palu. From Palu, he then went by the plane to Yogyakarta.

"I want to prove that I can study in Java and work, then continue affording my sister as well. Mother once has told me to study hard and be successful because my mother is not always healthy," said Rofik who is currently living in his senior’s house in Yogyakarta . (wwj / humas)