IVLP HiddenNoMore Alumni Trip 1: Dubai & Surabaya
Last year, I attended an exchange program for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) by the U.S. State Department and 21st Century Fox called HiddenNoMore (https://medium.com/@marion.schleifer/hiddennomore-my-experience-of-the-international-visitor-leadership-program-b524a9ad198f). This program allowed me to connect with 50 women from 50 countries, and it is important to me to foster these relationships by working together with my alumni sisters.
My first trip was this February to Dubai (UAE) and to Surabaya (Indonesia). It has been a truly inspiring trip filled with meeting amazing young people, exploring new cultures, as well as working hand in hand with my alumni sisters.
Reunion with Maryam in Dubai
The day after I arrived in Dubai, I met Maryam, my alumni sister from the UAE. We went for an authentic Arabic breakfast in the traditional part of Dubai and had an interesting exchange about our work and way of life in our countries. We went to the old city, to the museum of illusions (highly recommend!) and to a city tour by car. I felt very welcome at all times and it was nice getting together and to see Maryam in her usual environment. It was wonderful to refresh the memories of the amazing program we attended in the U.S.
HiddenNoMore Sharing Session
Maryam set up an event at the R.I.T. (Rochester Institute of Technology) in Dubai where I gave a presentation about the HiddenNoMore program to students and university staff. Especially the discussion that followed the presentation was very interesting. Students shared their experiences and they seemed very interested in the mentorship program that some IVLP alumnae are setting up this year. I connected with a lot of them to stay in touch, which made me really happy. It would be great if a partnership of any sort could emerge from this exchange. I truly appreciate the hospitality of Maryam and everyone involved in organizing this event. I couldn’t have felt more welcome.
After three days, I continued my journey to Surabaya. I was picked up by a staff member and a volunteer of Maria’s (my Indonesian alumni sister). I felt at home from the very beginning. They took me to dinner, to buy a sim card and then they accompanied me to my apartment, where I met Maria’s husband. Everyone was so friendly, and I felt as if I were a member of the family.
Reunion with Maria in Surabaya
The next day I finally met Maria at her office. It was a great reunion and it was so nice to see her again. I then had the honor of being a judge for her international students’ final projects. I talked to all the students at the exhibition and they told me about their projects. I was absolutely amazed! One group made a business concept to collect “not nice” fruit from farmers and make juice out of them in order to reduce food waste. Another group made a poster to create awareness of ocean pollution. And yet another group designed a strategy to reduce fatalities and injuries in the case of maritime accidents.
Graduation of International Students of ITS
In the afternoon, we attended the graduation of these students and I had the honor of handing over the price for the best project. The ceremony was very emotional and touching. Maria, who is the director of the International School, delivered a truly inspirational speech. She said: “Technology in bad hands can lead to disaster. But technology in the hands of those with a pure heart is the key to success”. And when she said goodbye to the students, she assured them that they always have a place in their hearts and homes when they come back to Indonesia. The speech was so moving that several people had tears in their eyes. Because students and staff members at the university love and look up to Maria, she is a great role model for young people as an example of what they can achieve. She is a selfless leader who lifts up the people around her without wanting to be in the center of attention.
WISE Event with Female Students
Because the 11th of February is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, most of the 50 HiddenNoMore alumnae are organizing a screening of the movie “Hidden Figures” by 21st Century Fox in their communities around that date. Before organizing my own screening in Switzerland, I was part of the Indonesian event which was a real pleasure. The event was called WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) and it was almost a full day event. Before the movie, I had the honor to share the stage with two brilliant and successful Indonesian women: Dr. Fatma and Dr. Warmadewanthi. I was so happy to see that the young women who attended the event have successful female role models in their community to look up to. After showing the movie (which, for me, never gets old), we had a discussion about what this movie can teach us to apply in our own lives. This discussion showed me once again, that the issues women are dealing with are similar around the world and that we can all learn from each other — no matter what our background is. Maria inspired once more: “Did we watch this movie to be inspired? Not only. We have to bring it here, into our backyards. This is a wakeup call!”.
HiddenNoMore Sharing Session
The day after, we had a gathering with staff and students of the International School. Maria and I shared the stage to talk about the HiddenNoMore program and what it means to us (which is a lot). After this, we had a discussion about women’s rights in the workplace. During this session, I realized how important it is to have these international exchanges. We can never understand the big picture of an issue if we don’t get different perspectives of it. And reaching across borders to address these issues feels like an important first step.
A Truly Lovely Family
One of my favorite experiences was dinner at Maria’s place. Living in a house with two of her sons, Maria and her husband Sonny opened their home and their hearts to students with a difficult family background. Currently, there are five foster children living with the family. Maria told me that they feel fortunate to live a good life and that they want to share what they have with the less fortunate. It touched me when she said this because it hit me that in the western world, many people have a lot more than they need. And yet, instead of sharing, they want more and more for themselves. I cannot speak for others, but this is something I want to get better at. I met some of Maria’s foster children. They are such lovely and courteous young people with a good heart and a kind soul. They were preparing dinner for me, tried to speak English with me and wanted to see pictures of my life in Switzerland. One of them took me on a city tour of Surabaya with his motorcycle and he was so nice. During the remainder of my stay, he repeatedly offered to help me with anything I needed. I’m so happy that these young people found a place to live where they are safe and can concentrate on their studies, thanks to Maria and Sonny. It was just so refreshing and heart-warming to see how people’s lives can be changed by providing them with what most of us take for granted.
My Impression of Surabaya
On my last day, I was on a city tour organized by the International School. We went to museums, to the house of a national hero, to the traditional market and to a Chinese temple. On this tour, I realized that Surabaya is not used to western tourists. In all the tourist sights, there were Indonesian people (especially children) who wanted to take pictures with me. It didn’t bother me all. On the contrary, it was really nice to see so many friendly and happy children, and they couldn’t have been more polite. The Indonesian people in general are wonderful. They are friendly and helpful, and I can tell that they really mean well. Even though not many of them speak English, they want to say hello and to help wherever they can. I realized that it is not always necessary to speak each other’s language but that kindness and and helpfulness can go a long way without any words.
After a week, I already had to leave Surabaya. But not for long. Maria and I have plans for a follow-up project in summer. I can’t wait to be back in Indonesia and to work with Maria and her students.
