Rita Puspa Zakaria
Rita Puspa Zakaria (born 20 November 1967) is an Indonesian lecturer and retired civil servant. She is widely recognized for her contributions to the healthcare sector in Bengkalis Regency, especially in improving nutrition, maternal and child health, and family health. She started her career as a Nutrition Coordinator at the Bengkalis Regency Health Office. Her involvement in the Bengkalis TP-PKK and Posyandu made a great contribution to her career path. She produced a documentary movie about her father entitled Zakaria: Pahlawan Dalam Kenangan. She received three Satyalancana Karya Satya Awards in recognition of her dedicated service: the 10-Year Award in 2001, the 20-Year Award in 2011, and the 30-Year Award in 2023. Born to Islamic scholar Zakaria bin Muhammad Amin and housewife Siti Zainab binti Kimpal, Zakaria received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions as a civil servant. Her notable achievements include co-authoring the book Belajar Mendengarkan Kepada Ibu-Ibu: Memperkuat Keterampilan Berkomunikasi untuk Peningkatan Gizi dan Pertumbuhan Anak (1992); establishing the Bengkalis District AIDS Commission (KPA); initiating diploma-level (D3) midwifery and nursing education programs in Bengkalis Regency; facilitating the establishment and operation of three puskesmas; and integrating the Regional Health Insurance Program (Jamkesda) with the National Health Insurance Program (JKN). Following her retirement as a civil servant, Zakaria pursued an academic career as a lecturer at Institut Agama Islam Negeri Datuk Laksemana (IAIN Datuk Laksemana). She also served as Executive Secretary of the Bengkalis District AIDS Commission. Beyond her professional career, she has also been actively involved in women's rights advocacy and education.