Banyuwangi, July 29, 2026 — The initiative to support and empower young women has entered a new phase. From July 28 to 29, 2026, the RISE Foundation conducted a series of activities in Banyuwangi Regency. The agenda included consulting with government agencies to strengthen legal frameworks, holding discussion sessions with female students, and improving internal data analysis to ensure the HER Way Program delivers a concrete and measurable impact.

Initial Partnership: Synergy with the Banyuwangi Education Office

The first activity in Banyuwangi was a meeting with Ms. Lina, Head of Community Empowerment at the Banyuwangi Education Office. This meeting served as the initial foundation to coordinate the drafting of a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the RISE Foundation and the Banyuwangi Regional Government. Referring to the successful collaboration model in Bandung Regency, the Education Office is prepared to facilitate coordination with the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) and the Regional Secretariat.

To support this process, the RISE team prepared a comprehensive portfolio, including organizational decrees, program track records, and documentation of the HER Way Program’s first year of implementation in Banyuwangi. Furthermore, this collaboration is supported by a plan to produce a program video with the Education Office and the scheduling of a regional monitoring and evaluation meeting for the upcoming August.

Regional Regulation Collaboration with the Regional Secretariat

Efforts to strengthen legal standing continued at the Government Section of the Banyuwangi Regional Secretariat with Mr. Agung. The discussion focused on administrative procedures, document drafting mechanisms, and the significant opportunity to expand the HER Way Program to schools across all 25 districts in its second year of implementation.

Following this meeting, the Government Section committed to assisting in preparing and submitting an official cover letter and a request for the MoU formulation to the Regent of Banyuwangi. The MoU draft previously used in Bandung Regency, along with the RISE portfolio, was submitted as a reference for further adjustments with the Education Office. The target for the offline signing of the agreement is set for the visit in August.

Legitimacy and Field Readiness with the Regional Branch of the Education Office

Consolidation efforts at the high school level were reinforced through a meeting with Mr. Agung, Head of the General Affairs Sub-division at the Banyuwangi Regional Branch of the Education Office. This meeting confirmed the continuity of the HER Way Program in high schools, particularly regarding the strengthening of the legal framework and the preparation for monitoring and evaluation activities. As a concrete form of support, the Branch Office committed to processing the issuance of Official Decrees (SK) for High School Teacher Facilitators and participants of the High School Technical Guidance (Bimtek) in Banyuwangi. Additionally, all technical preparations, concepts, and event locations for the evaluation at SMAN 1 Rogojampi were successfully finalized.

Discussion with Banyuwangi HER Way Facilitators

After completing the planning phase, the activities continued at SMAN 1 Rogojampi. The RISE Foundation, together with Joseph Odu from HOPE, held discussions with officials from the Education Office, the Regional Branch Office, the Principal of SMAN 1 Rogojampi, teacher facilitators, Health Heroes Facilitators, and student beneficiaries. During this session, Joseph Odu encouraged each group to share the changes they have experienced, the program’s benefits, and the challenges faced on the ground.

The sessions were conducted in a collaborative atmosphere, featuring honest reflections from both beneficiaries and facilitators, providing positive insights into the learning and health development of young women in Banyuwangi.

Data Optimization and Simplification through MEL Training

Concluding the series of events, a MEL Training session focusing on Data Finalization and Simplification was held with HOPE at the Kokoon Hotel Banyuwangi. This session was designed to strengthen the team’s capacity to build a more integrated and evidence-based Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system.

Entering the second year of the program, the team analyzed data management challenges, ranging from instrument standardization and pre/post-test efficiency to preventing double counting. By understanding the Theory of Change, Logical Framework, and Data Quality Assurance (DQA), the training emphasized that data is not merely a collection of achievement metrics (what happened), but an analytical tool to explain the reasons for change (why), its implications (so what), and the direction for future strategic steps (what next).

Initiating Steps Towards an Inclusive Environment

As a follow-up to these events, the RISE Foundation is committed to developing an integrated organizational MEL Plan, standardizing data instruments, strengthening data quality assurance, and finalizing the official cooperation documents with the Banyuwangi Regional Government. With a solid partnership foundation and an improved monitoring system, the RISE Foundation is prepared to implement sustainable and broad-impact initiatives for all young women in Banyuwangi.