By Marwah Aryantha, Founder and Managing Director of Bridges For Hope 

Marwah is the Founder and Managing Director of Bridges for Hope Indonesia. Her journey began with an in-depth exploration of refugee issues during her thesis defense, where she compared German and Hungarian migration policies for Syrian refugees in 2015. She was exposed to the reality of the system in both countries, which it intrigued her to delve in to the reality of refugees’ livelihood in her area, Jakarta, Indonesia. A pivotal moment came when her refugee friend reached out to her, desperate for learning opportunities. His belief in the power of education as a source of hope deeply moved her. In Indonesia, many refugees are trapped in limbo, leading to growing desperation and, tragically, at least thirteen people giving up since 2014. Having faced her own mental health struggles, Marwah resonated well with their plight. Working closely with her refugee friends has only reinforced her faith. It reminded her the importance of maintaining hope and holding onto life’s small blessings. 

With the aim of bridging refugee youths in Indonesia to livelihood and learning opportunities, she dared herself to bring the idea into action. Selected as one of the awardees of Young Leaders for Indonesia, a competitive self-development program initiated by McKinsey and Company Indonesia, she then initiated Bridges for Hope Indonesia (BFH), aimed at bridging refugee youths in Indonesia to livelihood and learning opportunities. Awarded as one of the grantees by Peace First, BFH is now able to implement the first batch of the Refugee Digital Skills Course, targeting refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Apart from this work, she also works full-time at the ASEAN Foundation as the Business Development Officer, focusing on research, proposal development, and partnerships, aiming to bring impact for the ASEAN community.