Rima Amalia Eka Widya, S.S., M.A., an educational staff member at the Faculty of Animal Science in UGM, received the Sylff Leadership Initiatives 2025 award from the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research (TKFD). In this prestigious international program, Rima presented an initiative titled “CircuLife – Community-Driven Waste Management and Circular Economy in Yogyakarta” which emphasizes strengthening the role of communities in waste management and the circular economy.
Rima chose the topic of community-based waste management and the circular economy because Yogyakarta faces increasingly pressing waste issues that require sustainable solutions.
“I believe this approach will encourage community empowerment, capacity building, behavioral change, and deliver tangible socio-environmental impacts,” Rima said on Wednesday (3/12).
She added that the SLI program is attended by Sylff Fellows from 69 institutions in 44 countries, with more than 17,000 scholarship recipients since 1987. Rima’s topic aligns with Sylff’s mission to support leaders of change who are able to drive positive social movements, empower communities, and create sustainable practices that can be replicated across regions.
As Project Coordinator, Rima designs a series of educational and practical activities open to lecturers, educational staff, cleaning services, TPS/waste bank managers, and the general public. The activities will take place at the Faculty of Animal Science UGM and the Triharjo Village Hall.
The CircuLife series of activities includes:
- Kick-Off & Workshop 1: Identifying Waste by Type and Organic Waste Processing (Composting) on December 10ᵗʰ.
- Workshop 2: Organic Waste Processing (Eco-enzymes and Maggots) on December 17ᵗʰ.
- Workshop 3: Inorganic Waste Processing (Plastic Recycling and Used Cooking Oil Candle Production) on January 17ᵗʰ.
- Workshop 4: Establishment of a Waste Processing Center (Pilot Site) on January 14ᵗʰ.
Through this series of activities, Rima hopes to establish a more independent, sustainable, and community-based waste management ecosystem in the Yogyakarta region.
Original article: https://fapet.ugm.ac.id/tendik-fapet-ugm-rima-amalia-raih-sylff-leadership-initiatives-2025/
Translated by: Sarah Suminar