 As a “mother of people” her spirit to help others is wonderful and can be compared to the one of the late Mrs. Tien Soeharto, our former First Lady, whom she admires. She dedicated her family rest house in Cinangka, Depok, West Java to Posdaya (Family Empowerment Post) as a proof of her care to the less fortunate people.
Mrs. Astuty Hasinah Haryono has been married to Mr. Haryono Suyono for more than four decades – 45 years, and on his side from the very beginning of his career to the crown of his career as the chief of BKKBN, State Minister of Demography, Minister of People’s Welfare and Poverty Alleviation (1983-1989) and received high praise from former RI Presidents Soeharto and B. J. Habibie, until now.
This 64 years old optimistic lady has survived fourth stadium lymphoma. “We can not be pessimistic. Trust in God who always knows the best for us,” she stated.
That makes her want to do more good deeds for others in her life. Her first move was to dedicate her family vacation house in Cinangka, Sawangan, Depok, West Java to be used by people based Posdaya (Family Empowerment Post) as a center of their activities.
Her husband, founder of Posdaya, is her inspiration in helping people to gain a better life. She established Astuty Center as the headquarters of her activities. She helps young garbage collectors, orphans, widows and elderly people to live their lives better. They are trained with skills and taught lessons that agree with their interest, at no cost, to be able to support their own lives. The more financially independent they become, the better our people’s economy will be.
“We don’t just spend our money to help them, but we also try to make better ways to help them with whatever we have in our house,” she said.
Her big ‘pendopo’ like house is surrounded by vast green fertile land where she and her neighbors plant various economic plants and raise ducks. They sell the harvest and use the money for their own needs. Avian flu stopped their business with martabak vendors around their houses who had bought their ducks’ eggs to make their martabak.
“We start everything little by little since we don’t have big capital,” she explained.
After Astuty Center in Cinangka is well run by her trusty associates, she started to try to make use of her next vacation house “Loji” in Cigombong, at the foot of Salak Mountain.
“This ‘Loji’ used to be a Dutch food storage in the colonial era. As the climate is cool I hope we can plant economic plants, such as vegetables and medical herbs. People around here can learn about the plants and how to cultivate them appropriately and sell the harvest,” she said to Rahmawati, a Gemari journalist when she visited the Loji that was renovated and finished on November 11th 2008.
She admires late Mrs. Tien Soeharto who was for her very charismatic and had brilliant ideas. “She was a humble, gentle and patient farsighted lady. She built Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and produced Government Regulation - PP no. 10 which forbids civil servants to have more than one wife.”
Keep Working Optimistically
She was a very popular girl in her hometown. Yet she was different from her girl friends who got married at a very young age. Astuty wanted to have high education and work in a good company to make her parents happy and proud of her.
“At that time, education was not as good as now. Indonesia had just proclaimed its independence so that everything was still difficult to get. Yet God helped. Although I only had a Junior High School degree I could work in the Government Trading Company (Perusahaan Dagang Negara). I was so lucky since not all of my friends had that good fortune.”
She continued, “At that time, if you were able to type well, you could work in offices. So, I took a typing course that got me admitted in an office. Your attitude was also important in getting a good job.”
She met young Haryono Suyono when she was his student. Her heart whispered a prayer, “May this young man be the one for me.” Since he was my teacher I could hope that he could teach me, guide me,” she said smiling.
She decided to get married when she was 19 years old in August 30th 1963. They started their married lives by working hard together. From her salary she could buy milk for their children. At that time her husband worked for BPS - Central Statistic Bureau and when they had three children, she stopped working to obey her husband’s decision of taking care of their children at home.
“He promised to work harder to support our family. But then I thought that my salary was more than his. How could he manage? He was a civil servant with a small salary that was just enough to buy rice, whilst I could buy the daily needs in my office. I obeyed my husband yet I did something else at home. I sold sweet ice in small plastics. I raised chickens to be sold, whilst he really worked harder for us. After office he taught in several places such as in APPI and Gedung Pola.”
Her activities to help supporting her family continued although her husband’s career was getting better and better. When Mr., Haryono Suyono was deputy to the chief of BKKBN and was then promoted to be chief of BKKBN, Astuty was getting more avid as a business lady.
“Before I went to manage Dharma Wanita – wives of employees’ organization – I boiled water to make sweet ice to be sold, then went to Pasar Senen to buy clothing material to be sold on credit to members of Dharma Wanita,” she said.
The idea of Posdaya was actually already in her mind. When she was chairlady of Dharma Wanita in central BKKBN, Astuty determined to help anyone who wanted to support their family. “I had an ability that I liked to share with the ladies. I taught them to sell gado-gado – vegetables salad with peanut sauce, satay, fresh drinks, soto – meat soup, etc in the cafeteria at the back of the BKKBN office. I told them to make special things to sell so there would not be any competition between them.”
They could borrow business capital from Dharma Wanita that could be paid back after a year. After one had finished paying one’s debt, another could start to borrow the business capital.
Getting More Education
When her husband went to America to study, she accompanied him and used her time to teach Javanese and Indonesian there. “Back in Indonesia, I had new spirit to get more education. I had only SMP degree, I wanted to get an SMA degree and go to college.”
SMA Arena Bermain in Gang Kenari, Central Jakarta, was her nostalgic place with her friends in white and grey uniform. She had had three children yet it was easy for her to mingle and socialize with her much younger friends. Tests or homework had been done well by her avidly. “I went to school in the white and grey uniform every day. After I helped my children get ready for school, I went to my school too.”
Astuty’s dream was humble. When she was a teenager she liked to be a nurse for they had white elegant caps. After getting married with a civil servant man she wanted to run a Betawi gado-gado restaurant after her husband’s retirement. But their philanthropist spirits bloomed larger and larger.
Having survived from lymphoma (cancer) she wanted to dedicate her life to do more for others. “I always try to accept every test of Allah with all my heart and soul. If it is my time to go, I’ll go. But if God still gives me chance to live, I’ll do more good deeds for others. Then I think that I have not yet done enough for others.”
At the end of our interview, Mrs. Suyono shared her secrets for maintaining love between husband and wife in good marriage. “We can not depend on our husbands all the time. Though we are house wives we have to be useful for people. Our husbands’ permits are necessary for whatever we do outside our homes.”
From their marriage they are blessed with: Dra. Ria Indrastuty (born on July 25th 1964) married to Drs. Triadi Suparta; Dra. Dewi Pujiastuty (born on October 8th 1965) and married to Ir. Hadiyono Rochadi Dirjo; Drs. Fajar Wiryono, AA (born on January 11th 1967) and married to Karsuvini Rosa Delima; and Rina Mardiana BSc (born on April 5th 1968) and married to Naziruddin (Rudi) Lubis.
And the grand children complete their happiness: Aditya Randi Pratama, Edy Indra Haryandika, Asri Andri Adistira (children of Ria and Triadi); Cherryna Putri Hadiastuty and Cheviray Hadi Putra Prakoso (children of Dewi and Hadiyono); Karva Dimas Bima Putra Wiryono, Nabila Jasmine Putri Wiryono and Riskyta Delila Putri Wiryono (children of Fajar and Rosa). |
