Sulastri Susi carries a vivid memory from 2014, a memory that shaped her future. That year, Tzu Chi volunteers from Indonesia held a medical outreach in Caokng village, Mempawah Hulu, West Kalimantan. This remote village was one that Tzu Chi volunteers had long supported. Among the villagers who came for treatment was a young Susi.

A seed of hope

Susi recalls her visit to the dental station during the outreach. "I went to see the dentist at the time," she said. "The dentist and nurses were there to help. To ease the atmosphere, the dentist asked me, 'What do you want to be in the future?' I said, 'I don't know.' The dentist smiled and said, 'How about becoming a nurse? It's a very meaningful job!'"

Those simple words resonated deeply with her. She began to observe the nurses, noticing their gentleness, patience, and sincerity. After the medical outreach, she returned home and asked her mother, "Mom, can I be a nurse when I grow up?" Her mother gently replied, "If you truly want to, then do it!" In that humble medical clinic, a seed of a dream was quietly planted, inspiring Susi with admiration and determination to one day become a nurse like those she had seen.

Overcoming obstacles

Life in Caokng village was challenging. The journey to the market was long, electricity outages were frequent, lasting two or three days, and mobile phone signals were almost nonexistent. When the pandemic arrived, life became even harder.

"My high school was far from home," Susi explained. "After the pandemic, classes went online, and to attend, I had to climb a mountain to find a signal." She chuckled, "It was about two or three kilometers. Sometimes I'd go up in the morning and come down at noon. If the signal cut out, I'd just have to wait for it to reappear."

Despite these significant difficulties, she persevered and completed high school. One day, she heard that Tzu Chi Indonesia was collaborating with Akademi Keperawatan Andalusia Nursing Academy to offer nursing scholarships. Hope rekindled within her. She diligently checked for updates, climbing the mountain morning, afternoon, and evening, determined not to miss any news about the scholarship.

Full of hope, she traveled to Jakarta to apply for the Tzu Chi scholarship, but her application was not successful. "When the results were announced, I wasn't accepted, and I was really sad, and even thought about going home and giving up," she softly recounted.

A new path to service

However, a new opportunity emerged. Andalusia Nursing Academy offered students the chance to study and work part-time. Susi seized this opportunity without hesitation. Her parents were farmers, and as the second of four children, Susi did not want to burden them.

She pondered how to support herself while studying in Jakarta. She began working in home care, cleaning and assisting the elderly. A few months later, she found work at a Catholic educational institution, caring for children with special needs. "At first, I wasn't used to it at all and didn't know what to do," Susi shared. "But gradually, I learned patience and understanding. They don't need pity; they need companionship."

Although balancing studies and work was demanding, Susi never gave up. "If I gave up, I wouldn't get anything. I want to prove I can do it and make my parents proud," she stated firmly.

Fulfilling a dream

As time passed, Andalusia Nursing Academy began collaborating with Tzu Chi Indonesia Hospital. Through school activities, Susi participated in many Tzu Chi events. In those moments, she felt as if she had returned to the place where her dream first blossomed.

Susi smiled, "I'm really happy. Although I didn't get the scholarship back then, I feel very blessed to be connected with Tzu Chi in another way now." She later had the opportunity to intern at Tzu Chi Hospital and successfully became a full-time nurse. She now works in the 6th-floor outpatient department, caring for patients with patience and compassion every day.

I'm so happy! I never thought I'd see this day. I was disappointed back then, but I kept working hard to finish my studies. Now that my wish to be a nurse at Tzu Chi Hospital has come true, the joy is truly doubled. Being a nurse is indeed tiring, but seeing patients recover and smile makes me especially happy. That sense of satisfaction is irreplaceable.
— Sulastri Susi

Susi has been away from her hometown in Jakarta for three years and has not yet returned. "I told myself I would only go back when I succeeded, to make my parents proud, and then I would bring them here," she said softly. Though far from home, she and her parents encourage each other through phone calls. "They always tell me, 'Be strong, don't give up.' Their words have always supported me."

In the future, Susi hopes to return to her village and open a small clinic, so villagers will no longer have to travel long distances for medical care. "I hope people in my hometown can get medical check-ups nearby, without having to travel for hours to see a doctor," she said with a warm smile.

Today, as she walks the corridors of Tzu Chi Hospital, she feels a sense of peace and gratitude, a testament that her efforts were not in vain. The mountain without a signal ultimately led her to find the most important signal in her life: compassion and kindness. She still remembers the gentle voice of the dentist who planted the seed of her dream to become a nurse who helps others. "I am truly grateful," she affirmed.

Written by Metta Wulandari