Three Young Scholars Protecting Land and Leading a New Generation of Farmers
Across the island, farmland that once sustained families for generations is disappearing, replaced by villas, roads, and rapid development. For many young people, the unspoken message is the same, leave the land behind. For us at Green School Foundation, we believe the opposite. Education can do more than open opportunities, it can protect heritage, restore ecosystems, and keep families rooted in the places that have shaped them. That’s why our Agricultural University Scholarship includes a simple but meaningful commitment, families agree to keep their land, and use it for regeneration, not for sale.
Today, our three young agricultural scholars Dea, Genta, and Saka are proving what happens when land protection and education move hand in hand.
These are their journeys, and why they matter.
How Dea Is Transforming Her Family’s Farm
Dea grew up in a close-knit farming community in Lampung, where her family has cared for the land for generations. Her parents always believed in her potential and hoped she would continue her studies, and the scholarship became a meaningful support that honored both her education and their commitment to the land. As her father shared, “The assistance really helps us. It allows us to focus on our farm while supporting Dea’s journey.”
What stands out most is how Dea brings her learning back home with pride. Each visit from Bali comes with thoughtful insights, new plant varieties, improved soil practices, and modern techniques that enrich the family farm. Some of these innovations spark curiosity among fellow farmers, who often stop by to learn more. Her mother recalled with a smile, “She introduced plants that were new to us, and she knew exactly how to care for them.” Today, Dea is not only strengthening her family’s agricultural legacy, she’s inspiring her siblings and showing her community the powerful impact of education, dedication, and youth leadership.
Dea shows how knowledge can help a family grow and adapt, but each scholar brings their own story to this shared path. For Saka and his family, the connection to land carries an even deeper meaning, rooted in heritage and the decision to protect the land that holds their history.
Saka Chooses to Protect His Family’s Land and Legacy
Saka’s story begins with a simple but powerful commitment which is protecting a piece of land his family has cared for across generations. His father shared, “This land has been with our family for many generations. When we agreed not to sell it, it felt like protecting a part of ourselves.”
For Saka, that promise is not just symbolic, it guides the way he learns and works every day. He studies agriculture with intention, bringing new techniques home and improving the small farm his family depends on. One of the changes he introduced was a simple irrigation system he built with a friend, helping the family water their crops more efficiently and understand their yields more clearly.
In a community where many young people are drawn to tourism, Saka chooses a different path. His decision shows that farming is not outdated, but a meaningful and modern choice, one that strengthens his family and keeps their land alive.
As Saka’s story shows the strength of protecting the land his family has carried for generations, Genta’s journey reflects another side of this path, one where a student finds confidence and purpose while his family continues to keep and care for the land they call home.
Genta’s Journey in Finding His Path Through Agriculture
Genta’s story begins in a household that, like many in Bali, works hard to support multiple children through school. When we visited his family, his parents shared something simple yet meaningful, “The scholarship motivates Genta to do his best. It gives our family stability.”
That stability gave Genta room to grow and his parents watched him change in ways they had hoped for. Genta now speaks with confidence about sustainable agriculture and the future he wants to build. Through exposure visits to agricultural businesses and environmental projects, he began to see agriculture not just as tradition, but as a modern field shaped by innovation and purpose.
His father told us proudly, “He understands the opportunities in agriculture better now. It helps him make clearer decisions.”
People in his village have started to notice the shift as well. Neighbors ask about his studies, the scholarship, and what it means for a young Balinese student to pursue agriculture seriously. Genta’s experience is helping people around him see that agriculture holds real opportunity for the future. He is shaping his own future, but he is also quietly shaping the way his community sees the land, education, and the potential of its young people.
Stories like Dea’s, Saka’s, and Genta’s remind us that regeneration begins with people, it starts when families choose to keep their land, young farmers choose to learn and return home, and communities choose to believe in agriculture again. At Green School Foundation, we are honored to walk alongside them. By investing in students who protect their heritage and cultivate their skills, we are helping ensure that Bali’s land, culture, and food systems remain alive for generations to come.
Support their journey and help more young farmers protect their land and future.
