PT Freeport Indonesia Scholarship Helps Two Papuan Doctors Earn Degrees

January 30, 2026 - In Papua, dreams are continuing to become reality, with two young doctors achieving career milestones with the help of PT Freeport Indonesia.

In 2025, Thalia Karupukaro and Christanto Beanal earned their degrees through the support of PTFI and the Amungme and Kamoro Community Empowerment Foundation (YPMAK). Since 1996, the YPMAK scholarship program has operated with support from PTFI as part of the company's commitment to sustainable development and local community empowerment.

The first female doctor from the Kamoro Tribe, Karupukaro received her first scholarship in 2013, while she was still in junior high. Karupukaro described her journey to complete her medical degree as academic, emotional and spiritual, and she recounted a time when a patient returned specifically to thank her – a moment she said made her feel “truly useful.”

“The scholarship I received has been very influential and can be a door for all young Papuan generations to achieve bigger dreams,” Karupukaro said. “I chose to become a doctor because I am a child who knows exactly how difficult health service access is in Papua. I want to be a solution to this problem.”

A recipient of the YPMAK scholarship since his undergraduate medical studies, Beanal is the first male doctor from the Amungme Tribe and now is pursuing a master’s degree in Hospital Management. For Beanal, YPMAK’s support extends beyond just financial, with mentors and peers who can offer moral, emotional and psychological support as students face the struggles of medical school.
Beanal is not the only doctor from the Amungme tribe. Earlier in 2025, Sephia Chrisilla Jangkup, a YPMAK scholarship recipient, became the first female doctor from the Amungme Tribe and now is working in a hospital internship.

The achievements of Karupukaro, Beanal and Jangkup are personal successes that illustrate the important role PTFI and Freeport have in transforming communities and inspiring future generations across the world.

“We appreciate the achievements of these three scholarship recipients from PTFI,” said Claus Wamafma, Director and Executive Vice President of Sustainable Development at PTFI. “They have proven that hard work, discipline, perseverance, an adaptive attitude and persistence in learning have led them to achieve their dreams. Freeport Indonesia, through its scholarship program, is proud to be part of the great strides of Papuan children continuing to excel at national and global levels.”

Photos (top to bottom): The first male doctor of the Amungme Tribe, Christanto Beanal is pursuing a degree in Hospital Management; Thalia Karupukaro is the first female doctor of the Kamoro Tribe.