West Sumbawa, 30 May 2025 - The sunbaked roads of West Sumbawa silently witnessed the bitter hardships of Muhammad Ary's life journey. After getting married, he had no permanent job. His days were filled with small jobs here and there, including helping his parents as a farm laborer. Occasionally, he worked as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver to supplement his income.
In early 2021, Ary was working as a driver and stone breaker when he heard news about a coding training scholarship from PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMMAN), which came as a breath of fresh air for him. Without much hesitation, Ary registered, never expecting that small step to open a significant path in his life.
“My motivation at that time was simple: to make my parents proud and to be useful to many people,” said Ary. Even so, initially, he registered just for the pocket money and the hope of being able to create a website. The programming world was still foreign to him, who was 31 years old then.
His wife warmly welcomed his decision. Although his extended family did not fully understand the ins and outs of this training, they also supported him because of AMMAN's well-known reputation.
This coding training allowed Ary to find a new community, supportive friends, and tireless mentors. The material presented was relevant to real-world case studies. More than just coding hard skills, Ary was also equipped with critical soft skills such as English, interview techniques, and digital CV and portfolio optimization. These skills became valuable assets in building his new career, all the way to Singapore.
From West Sumbawa to Singapore
Ary's feelings upon completing the scholarship training program and getting a job in Singapore are hard to express. This program truly changed everything. His income increased, people's perception of him improved, and most importantly, he now sees a broader future.
Ary's dreams and career targets for the future are also getting higher. In the future, he wants to create new programmers. In the long run, he aspires to build a company or startup that can create job opportunities for many people.
“Don't be too busy thinking about what you will become, just focus on doing your best and take advantage of every opportunity,” he said. He emphasized the importance of controlling the things that can be controlled.
AMMAN and Glints Academy Scholarship
The collaborative program between AMMAN and Glints Academy in West Sumbawa is one of AMMAN's Community Development Program (PPM) initiatives within the Human Resource Development pillar. This program prepares local talents to face the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and provides global career opportunities by empowering West Sumbawa youth in Information Technology (IT) through intensive coding training (tech bootcamp) for 6 months. The training covers various fields such as Front End, Back End, React Native, and Full Stack JavaScript. It is equipped with job preparation skills (digital profile optimization, English, and career guidance).
More than 170 applicants attended this program, more than 100 participants graduated, and more than 120 companies partnered with it for job placement.
Ary's story is proof that even the smallest opportunity can change a life, as long as it is fought for earnestly. From a farm laborer and temporary jobs, he is now pursuing a career as a programmer in Singapore—a miracle born from opportunity and perseverance.
