Bogor – Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto attended the graduation ceremony of the Defense University (Unhan) held at Unhan RI in Sentul, Bogor, on Saturday, August 24. During the event, he listened intently to the graduation speech of Martina Mendoza Lopez, a graduate of the “Ben Mboi” Polytechnic of the Defense University in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Martina, who hails from NTT, expressed her pride and gratitude to Prabowo in her speech. Prabowo, visibly moved by her story, listened with emotion as Martina recounted her journey as the eldest of six siblings. The 23-year-old is the eldest daughter of Bento Mendoza Lopez, a corn farmer, and Filomena Rekortesa Lopez, a homemaker.

“My father is one of the hundreds of thousands of East Timorese who exodused to Indonesia during the East Timor referendum in 1999. They were East Timorese who chose Indonesia as their homeland,” Martina shared.

She explained that, despite having been part of Indonesia for many years, most former East Timorese citizens in NTT, including her family, still struggle with poverty and lack of access to adequate education and healthcare.

“As the eldest child, I tried to help support my family. I worked as a fried snack vendor. Then, five months later, I found a job as a shop assistant to help my parents and pay for my siblings’ schooling,” Martina revealed.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and Martina lost her job. Undeterred, she saw an opportunity to pursue education through a scholarship program at the Defense University in Belu. She applied and went through the rigorous selection process.

“Thank God, in 2021, I was accepted as a cadet at Unhan Belu. It turns out that many of us, especially from NTT, were accepted, with around 70 percent of the students at Unhan Belu being from the former East Timor community,” Martina said.

“Minister, we are proud to be cadets at Unhan Belu, and during our time there, you visited Belu several times. Thank you also for giving our parents, especially all parents from NTT, the opportunity to attend this graduation in Sentul. This is the first time my parents have ever flown on a plane,” she continued.

Prabowo listened to Martina’s speech with deep emotion and pride in her achievements. He immediately stepped forward to congratulate Martina and express his admiration for her parents.

“Congratulations. You have not disappointed the nation, the country, or most importantly, your parents. Today, your parents are the proudest of all, seeing their children graduate so well,” Prabowo said in his speech at the graduation ceremony.

Prabowo also advised the graduates to be intelligent, skilled, brave, and ready to serve the nation and country.

“Your journey is still long, and it must be a journey of service—service to your homeland and to your parents. You have been selected, trained, educated, and forged. Now, the nation, the people, and your parents await your contribution,” Prabowo concluded. (RR)