The APRIL Group team is made up of a wide variety of skilled people who each play an important role in the company’s success.
In honor of International Women’s Day 2023, we asked some of our brightest young minds to share why they believe APRIL is an inclusive and supportive environment for professional development.
Sarisha – RER Database Analyst
Since she was a little girl, Sarisha has had a deep-seated desire to explore the great outdoors and experience everything that Mother Nature has to offer. Pursuing her passion, Sharisha graduated from Gadjah Mada University with a degree in Forestry.
However, doing the things you enjoy, particularly when many around you found it difficult to comprehend your decision, is not always a simple thing to accomplish. She was on the verge of giving up on a career doing what she loves.
“After finishing college, I followed my parents’ wishes and worked at a bank for a while. But I couldn’t shake the idea that I was losing out on something important by doing so,” Sarisha said.
After two years, the 27-year-old decided to follow her passion to find fulfillment in her career. Sharisa left the bank to work as a database analyst at Restorasi Ekosistem Riau, a position that required her to live a significant distance from her family.
“At first, both of my parents were opposed to it. Yet I was successful in changing their minds. It was not an easy thing to battle for your ambition, especially to stand up for it against the people you love, but if I had the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change my dream,” she continued.
Sharisha said that even though it had always been her ambition, it seemed daunting at first. Since she began working with RER in 2021, she has been the only woman in a team of five to six people, and needs to enter the forest at least once each month.
As part of her role as an analyst at one of the most extensive restoration projects in Indonesia, Sharisha is responsible for the maintenance of a database of information gathered from all the restoration locations.
Therefore, she has relied on her trips into the wilds from day one to collect the data from vegetation measurement, water level monitoring and camera traps.
“Whenever we are going to head out into the wilderness, my objective is to always strive to create trust with the other members of the team. It would be beneficial to get greater self-assurance and think that there are no challenges that we are unable to overcome,” she stated.
Sharisha said that the opportunity she has had to get to know herself better during the course of her professional career is the highlight of the experience so far.
“I discovered that I am stronger than I thought I was,” she joked, adding later: “That was a big realization.”
Edenia – Electrical Finishing Maintenance
Edenia is the oldest child and she and her father, a lecturer of electronic engineering, have a special relationship. Growing up, she saw her father use his skills to make their daily lives easier at home.
“Beginning with the repair of damaged electronic equipment and continuing on to millions of do-it-yourself electronic projects. Somehow, I got the notion that learning something you can apply in your own life at home would be a lot of fun. As a result, I decided to pursue a degree in electronic engineering,” Edenia said.
The 24-year-old counts herself as lucky to have amazing parents who have encouraged and motivated her throughout her life.
“After finishing college, I didn’t take long to settle on a career path. I always knew that a firm like APRIL would be the appropriate location for me to prosper and enhance my abilities.”
Edenia has always felt that as the first female electric technician in the finishing department at APRIL, she has had the chance to prove herself among her male colleagues. She has never experienced being treated differently because of her gender.
“I am thankful for the challenges I am experiencing at work. The type of challenges that encourage you to become a better version of yourself each day. It seems like a pretty positive atmosphere for young people to work in to me,” Edenia added.
Clara – Plantation Assistant
A former aspiration of Clara’s was to represent Indonesia at many international forums; this influenced her decision to major in International Relations at college. And then she had an Aha!-moment: she wanted to make a difference in her community, and she cares more deeply about seeing local talent flourish.
When Clara first started working for APRIL in 2022, she realized she had finally discovered the kind of workplace that would allow her to not only succeed professionally, but also to help others.
As a plantation assistant, Clara’s job requires her to interact with a large number of older field workers.
“We have the field staff here; most of them are men who are older than me who are not used to accepting direction from ladies of any age. But with the effective communication technique, I can win them over and work with them to reach our goals,” she said.
As a plantation assistant, Clara spends her days working in the Eucalyptus plantation, in the heat, rain, and dirt. This is not something most people get to experience, but the lessons she is picking up from her routines are priceless.
“Work may be challenging sometimes. Particularly if you’re out in the pitch. Yet, I am grateful that the men on my team are so encouraging, helpful, and protective. They accomplish their jobs with great efficiency and professionalism, and they’re a constant inspiration to the female workers here. To be honest, I pick up a lot of useful information about survival from them,” Clara said.
Clara has seen that more and more women are seeking plantation assistant positions.
“I’m happy to see more women breaking out of their shells and establishing themselves as leaders in fields that have traditionally been controlled by males. We’ve been doing it for years at APRIL because the company gives us women the chance to establish ourselves in every role,” she said.
