Paradigta Academy Graduation – Family Change Maker Academy

Everyone is a Leader of Change

On Thursday 18 September 2025, 284 graduates from 6 provinces in 12 districts namely: Aceh Besar, Aceh Selatan, Pidie, Aceh Barat Daya, Batang, Pekalongan Regency, Kendal, Central Lombok, East Lombok, Lembata, Mempawah, and Bolaang Mongondow underwent a graduation ceremony that was graced by the local government, village government, representatives of women’s organizations, community leaders, religious leaders, and the entire Pekka Union.

Since 2015, the Female-Headed Household Empowerment Foundation (PEKKA)  developed an initiative to accompany female leaders at the grassroots level, particularly from the Female-Headed Household (Pekka) community, so that they can play an important role in village “leadership.”  This initiative was named the Paradigta Academy, which is a structured education and training program for Pekka cadres and women cadres in rural areas or villages so that they can be actively involved in the decision-making and development processes in their areas. Since its inception, the Paradigta Academy has produced 7,975 women cadres in the PEKKA organization’s working areas.

The Paradigta Academy implements a structured Women’s Leadership Education program in the form of “Community-Based Action Training” which is conducted regularly at the sub-district and district levels and attended by women representatives from villages/neighborhoods. The education process lasts between 3-6 months with a mentorship system, combining classroom learning and hands-on practice in the field. Paradigta Academy mentors are female leaders from the PEKKA community who have been active in villages/subdistricts. 

Through the Paradigta Academy, PEKKA has accumulated the experience of trained female heads of households who have led change in their communities by involving various parties in society, including people with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, identity-based minorities, and others. The PEKKA Union and Paradigta Academy alumni will lead the movement and “everyone as a change leader” to achieve an inclusive social system. Graduates of this education program will become drivers in their respective villages and will contribute to the development agenda in the village and will be actively involved in post-pandemic economic recovery by becoming women drivers to organize groups to develop various initiatives, including businesses in their villages and supporting the Women-Friendly and Child-Friendly Village program. 

Since the end of 2021, the PEKKA Foundation, with the support of Power Up!, has started family change maker classes in order to contribute to efforts to create Women-Friendly and Child-Friendly Villages/Sub-districts. To date, these classes have been held in 15 districts in 7 provinces and have produced 2,192 alumni. 

Particularly 2025, the family change maker class was held in 6 provinces and 12 districts, namely: Aceh Besar, Aceh Selatan, Pidie, Aceh Barat Daya, Batang, Pekalongan Regency, Kendal, Central Lombok, East Lombok, Lembata, Mempawah, and Bolaang Mongondow. There were 304 registered participants. At the end of the program, 284 participants successfully completed the series of educational processes and assignments and were declared to have passed. 

In appreciation of the completion of the fifth batch of the Paradigta-Keluarga Pembaharu (Change Maker) Academy education program in 2025, the PEKKA Foundation, with the support of the Power Up! program, held a graduation ceremony for the Paradigta Academy participants. This graduation ceremony is a forum for returning the participants to their families, village governments, and communities, as well as an effort to promote the leadership role of women in villages/sub-districts. It is also part of advocacy to local and district/city governments to support the strengthening of the women’s empowerment education system by continuing women’s empowerment classes that are included in government policies and sustainable funding support.