PERSONAL STATEMENT

My name is Andarita Rolalisasi. I am female, thirty six years old, and married.

I growth in a little village named Kasembon about 3 hours from Surabaya, where there are limited education. Therefore after finished Junior High School I got my Senior High School in Batu which is 45 km from my home village. I went to school by bus about one quarter hour. I have to went on 5 am to reach at my school on 6.45 am and as I remember I never late. I back home on 6 pm while took more exercise after class. I would be back home when the way was blocked by land slide after the rain. Due to the way is the only one access, I had to walk over them to catch a bus from the other different direction.

I was studied Architecture during 1990 - 1997 in Department of Architecture, Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya. In the earlier, I have been marry and got pregnant. I need more willingness and effort to finish my study because of it. I beard at 2 weeks before the end of the first semester but I still could pass the examination. Unfortunately at the end of my study time, my daughter passed away because of sick. I was very sad, but I had to finish my study because I have deep motivation to finish.

I realized that the most influence person in my life is my father. He just graduated from Elementary School, but to increase the income generation as civil servant, he had to pursue higher education. So he continued his study in Junior and Senior High School at evening. In the same time, I went to Junior and Senior High School too. The memories of that keep in my motivation and willingness to continue higher education to increase my knowledge and my capability.

After finished my study in Department of Architecture in 1997, I worked for a General Contractor Company for about five and a half years as Architect. My job description was design several projects, such as fifth floors commercial buildings, interior design of war ship navy of Indonesian Republic, and some private houses projects.

During April 15 until November 18, 2006, I am attending International Advance Training Shelter Design and Development in Lund University, Sweden. The general development objective of the program is to provide professionals working in this field a deeper knowledge and wider frame of reference to enable them to create long term conditions to combat poverty through effective capacity institutional development.

2003 until now, I am a researcher of Laboratory for Housing and Human Settlement, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology Surabaya. I have assisted in several projects:
2003 - 2004, I have assisted the Laboratory and the City in several community mobilizations and empowerment processes in slum areas of the city, and also facilitated the city of Surabaya's Social Rehabilitation Project. These projects are aimed at improving the income generation capacities of poor households so that they can become economically self-sufficient. A core strategy of these projects is to use micro-credit to stimulate small and medium business in poor neighbourhoods of the city.
2004, Part of technical research team to analyze East java's Agro-Business potential and strengthen its regional whole sale market. The research suggested price control to reduce speculation and make stocks last longer, and to increase farmers' welfare by ways to reduce price fluctuations due to seasonal variations.
2004, Member of a team that conducted a pre-Feasibility Study for developing a Regional Wholesale Market in Surabaya. Because of its convenient accessibility, there exists great market potential to develop Surabaya as the leading centre of East Indonesia's whole sale trade. The study needed to provide adequate evidence to support Surabaya's claim to be able to become East Indonesia's trading.
2005, I was a part of a Study Team that prepared the Development Plan for the Surabaya-Madura Bridge (Suramadu) Area. The plan aims to develop a mixed-use region complete with business centres, recreation areas, and housing redevelopment so that new business investment can be attracted for the economic growth of the Suramadu Area. The plan attempts to integrate the concept of developing the Suramadu Area as a waterfront city with the existing concept that guides Surabaya's development as maritime city.
2006, Now I am part of team that conducted Pra Design Rumah Toko dan Perumahan YKP PenjaringanSari, Surabaya, East Java. The plan aims to develop a mixed use business area and housing.
I am part of team to map the impact of hot mud floods to the settlements surrounding caused by an oil and gas exploration well in Sidoarjo, East Java.
Also, I am a member of team that to formulate a model to improve inadequate housing in Surabaya and the surrounding. The study needed to improve the quality of the slum area.