Yayasan Helping Hands began with a simple question:
Why do people with disabilities remain underrepresented in the workplace?
Many young people with disabilities complete secondary education with motivation and emerging skills. Yet without sufficient preparation, workplace exposure, and guidance aligned with real industry environments, their pathways into the workplace quickly narrow at that juncture.
At the same time, many workplaces are still learning how to become inclusive — not out of unwillingness, but because inclusive systems, cultures, and practices take time, structure, and shared learning to develop.
We believe inclusion requires more than good intentions on either side.
It requires preparation, trust, and sustained collaboration between education and the workplace.
From this belief, Yayasan Helping Hands was built — not as a charity, but as a bridge between potential and opportunity, supporting schools and companies as they build inclusive pathways through practical steps and shared learning over time.
What We Believe
We believe that inclusion is like riding a tandem bicycle.
Two riders move forward together. If one stops pedaling, the journey slows down.
Disability inclusion works the same way. Students with disabilities build skills and readiness for the workplace, while companies learn how to create environments that are open and inclusive.
At Yayasan Helping Hands, this belief shapes how our programs are designed. Students and Leaders are placed on the same platform of learning and experience — interacting, collaborating, and growing together through mentorship, upskilling, and workplace exposure.
Progress happens when both sides move together — each taking responsibility for the success of inclusion.
This perspective informs the principles behind our work.
Inclusion must be practical
It should work in real classrooms and real workplaces, through direct and meaningful experience.
Dignity over charity
People with disabilities are partners in the process, not recipients of help.
Collaboration creates impact
Sustainable inclusion happens when education, communities, and companies move together.
Elly Tjahja
As Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Helping Hands, Elly Tjahja is deeply committed to empowering persons with disabilities. She believes every individual deserves the opportunity to grow with dignity and purpose. Her dedication focuses on building an inclusive, resilient, and self-reliant community.
Willy Suwandi Dharma
Willy Suwandi Dharma brings a strategic perspective shaped by years of leadership and engagement across business and community initiatives. As a Trustee of Yayasan Helping Hands, he supports the foundation’s mission to strengthen collaboration between education and industry, helping create more inclusive pathways for young people with disabilities to participate in the world of work.
Joeng Hwa Soe
Joeng Hwa Soe brings a strong commitment to community development and inclusive opportunity. As a Trustee of Yayasan Helping Hands, she supports efforts that strengthen collaboration between schools, communities, and workplaces so that young people with disabilities can move forward with greater confidence and access to meaningful opportunities.
Ignanto Sandjaja
Ignanto Sandjaja is a strong advocate for inclusive education and equal opportunity. As a Trustee of Yayasan Helping Hands, he supports efforts to ensure that young people with disabilities have greater access to learning, preparation, and meaningful pathways into the workplace.
Wendy Kusumowidagdo leads Yayasan Helping Hands with a commitment to expanding meaningful opportunities for young people with disabilities. She initiated and developed the LIT (Leadership & Inclusive Training) program, which has evolved into an ecosystem connecting students to mentorship, skills development, and workplace exposure. Through her work, she continues to strengthen partnerships between schools, companies, and communities to support more inclusive pathways into the world of work.
Wendy Kusumowidagdo
Executive Director