Two high school students from Papua had the privilege of participating in Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day celebration as members of the elite national flag-raising troop, Pasukan Pengibar Bendera Pusaka (Paskibraka), at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta alongside President Prabowo Subianto. Representing Papua Pegunungan Province was Franciscus Sakfiris Pahabolisage, a student at SMA Negeri 1 Wamena, and representing Papua Tengah Province was Stincek Laramiapa from SMA Negeri 1 Nabire. Both students expressed their excitement and gratitude for this opportunity to be part of such a prestigious event.
Franciscus shared his experience of the challenging selection process, from the district to the provincial level, and finally reaching the national level. One of the biggest challenges for him was the physical training, especially since he had never done regular exercise like running, push-ups, or sit-ups. Despite the difficulties, he felt grateful for the opportunity and was excited to meet the President in person.
Stincek, on the other hand, emphasized her commitment to giving her best performance during the flag-raising ceremony. She mentioned feeling nervous about meeting the President but was also filled with excitement and joy. She expressed her determination to raise the national flag with the best result possible, aiming to make the country proud.
Both students highlighted the importance of teamwork and unity during their training. Despite coming from different backgrounds, they were able to work together, support each other, and build a strong sense of camaraderie. While nerves were present, the excitement and pride of representing their province and country outweighed any fears they had about the upcoming performance on August 17th.
