Diah Saminarsih symbolizes hope. Her figure represents better versions of many things, especially about women. “I am the proof that the effort of ‘women helping women’ is possible,” Diah said.
The power of “women helping women”, she convinced, is not merely a jargon. Together with her mentor Nila Moeloek, former Health Minister, they blazed the way. “We help each other, and strengthen each other.”
Her mission of women empowerment started in 2010. Diah was recruited as the assistant of Nila Moeloek, who was the President’s special envoy for MDGs. There was no budget, no staff to deploy, and no permanent office. They had to move from one other people’s place to another.
Despite all the hurdles, their efforts must not subside. The strategic position of becoming the President’s special envoy should be utilized as best as possible to enhance the achievement of MDGs.
The ‘duet’ of Nila dan Diah took their first steps with a series of discussion, trying to understand the problems from various points of view. Finally, they reached a conclusion that intervention in the field of health is very crucial.
“Health problems in our country is very complicated, very difficult to change. It’s like a ‘petrified dinosaur’. It requires fresh eyes and soul to start crushing a little bit of this ‘dinosaur stone’,” Diah said.
Then, in 2012, they established a program called Pencerah Nusantara (PN).
“When we started this program, we had no money, so we had to go around to convince people to be our sponsors,” she recalled.
“It was like…we were selling a dream. Indeed, dream was all we had.”
Thankfully, some parties were willing to welcome the dream of Nila and Diah, including GE Foundation.
Pencerah Nusantara empowered young health practitioners—doctors, midwives, nurses, pharmacologists and public health experts—to serve people in seven remote areas: Toli-Toli and Sigi (Central Sulawesi), Karawang (West Java), Berau (East Kalimantan), Sikakap (West Sumatera), Pasuruan (East Java), Ende (East Nusa Tenggara). In every location, there was a team consisting of five or six people working as a team.
The PN teams worked for two years, listening to people’s aspirations, gathering information and finding out the problems together with the locals. “In some areas, people still practice open defecation in the river, so our task was how to encourage the villagers to build proper toilet,” Diah said.
Each team has to complete different tasks, such as establishing the nutritional plantation and improving the management of Puskesmas (community health centers). There were also teams that had to go around small islands and taking a boat ride amidst rough waves to provide health services.
“For the PN team members, this was truly a life-changing experience. They are urban people, who suddenly had to stay in remote areas and adapt with all its limitations,” Diah explained.
Reaching its seventh anniversary this year, PN has been successful in improving various indicators of public health in the areas where it worked, as the indicators gradually changed from red to yellow, then from yellow to green. For example, health care services in Puskesmas become better, environment become cleaner, and crops in the house yard gardens grow well.
Since 2014, Minister Nila Moeloek adopted PN into the government’s program with a new name, Nusantara Sehat. Under this program, thousands of health workers were assigned to remote areas.
“These people are the ones who will play major roles in the landscape of Indonesia’s health policies within 10, 15, or 20 years to come,” Diah said. “They will formulate the policies that bring the spirit and aspiration of the land they live on, instead of ‘dreamy’ policies.”
Pencerah Nusantara also brought Diah to her current prestigious position: Senior Advisor on Youth and Gender with the World Health Organization (WHO). She directly reports to the WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebhreyesus.
“I never applied for this position. Pak Tedros asked me in person. I know what you have been doing with Pencerah Nusantara, that’s what he said.”
Working at the Geneva office, during the last two years, Diah learned a lot about the social pattern of international community. “At first I was surprised to find that there were a lot of people undermine each other.”
However, the more important thing for her is to learn how to formulate inclusive and participatory programs and policies.
“The policies issued by WHO applies for all countries. Therefore, we should be very prudent. No country should be left behind.”
Is there any dream that she has yet to achieve? “Many,” Diah said, laughing. One of the dreams that has not been realized is to establish a community that cares for each other, among others, by intentionally find a mentor and mentee, like Diah and Nila Moeloek have shown and proven successful.
“Women helping women is important, and powerful.”
