Manaaki Essay 2026 Part 2 (RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT) 2nd version

Describe the situation.
Describe a situation you were in or task you needed to accomplish.
Be sure to give enough detail for the reader to understand.

Describe the actions you took.
What specific actions did YOU take in the situation or task?
What specific things did YOU do and for what were YOU responsible?
Why did you take the actions you did?

Describe the outcome/result of your actions.
What was the outcome of your actions? What happened? How did it end?
Did you achieve what YOU were trying to achieve?
What did you learn in the process?

Describe a situation that demonstrates your ability to develop new relationships that have been important for your work or study.

Describe the situation
During a British Council workshop in 2024, I learned that supporting visually impaired students requires extraordinary actions such as accessible materials and supportive infrastructure. This experience exposed a critical gap that many Indonesian universities have yet to prioritize inclusive academic services. Recognizing these barriers motivated me to create a specialized disability unit to ensure that no student is marginalized due to physical and non-physical limitations.

* What actions did you take to develop the relationship? (character limit 750)
Following the workshop, my colleagues and I established a Disability Service Unit to formalize our commitment to inclusive education. However, university leadership initially resisted the Inclusive Campus branding, fearing it might lower the institution's perceived quality of prospective students. I addressed this by providing direct feedback, arguing that providing inclusive education services is a necessity in the 21st century. I emphasized that aligning with the UN SDG, would boost University global reputation and institutional image. By reframing inclusivity as a mark of modern excellence and not simply a compromise, I have successfully advocated for a more equitable and strategic academic environment.

* What was the outcome? (character limit 500)
After persuading leadership that the Disability Service Unit is a strategic asset, it began formal operations in 2025. Within a year, we won second place nationally among the other 24 universities. The award recognized our innovation, impact, and sustainability. From this achievement, I learned that universities are often disconnected from marginalized groups. It reinforced my mission to bridge the gap between academic institutions and inclusive, real-world social impact.

What was the circumstance by which you were exposed to this? What led to your discovery of this shortcoming? You cannot immediately lay out the problem for solving without first referencing the foundation that allowed the problem to develop.


How and why were your colleagues involved in the problem? What is the background for the group development?


Where? Under what department? Who gave permission for its establishment?


Which Un-SDG? You need to be specific about how you defended your stance, the UN SDG inclusion would make your opinion stronger.


What specific university department was involved and who did you have to negotiate with? What was the contribution of that department to your goal aside from permitting the establishment of the unit?


What was the competition? What was the criteria for winning?

There are so many gaps in the way that you are responding to the questions that it leaves the reader confused and disbelieving of your presentation. Try to fill in the gaps I found and some others that might arise from the gap filling once you edit the paper. I know there is a character requirement so consider that the challenge to your writing abilities. Be concise but KISS it.