Recently The SMERU Research Institute and its close associates were shocked by the sudden death of one of the Institute’s leading researchers, Wenefrida Widyanti. Her death was not only a great loss to the Institute, because she played a significant role in many of SMERU’s research projects, but also for the Indonesian research community at large. Wenefrida, better known as Wina by her colleagues, was recognized for her exceptional number crunching skills and knowledge about data. Her expertise is best reflected in her work, “Developing a Poverty Map for Indonesia: A Tool for Better Targeting in Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Programs”, published in a series of four books by SMERU in 2005. Chris Elbers of Vrije University, Amsterdam, who had the opportunity to work with Wina in developing the poverty map of Indonesia, considered her as “a true master in data management and programming.” To date, the SMERU Poverty Map is presented in a form of an easy-to-use interactive CD.

In this special edition we would like to share with our readers Wina’s major work, the SMERU Poverty Map—its genesis, contribution to poverty-related studies, and use by our stakeholders. This edition is dedicated to the late Wina, to commemorate her contribution to SMERU and the development of poverty analysis in Indonesia. Through this newsletter edition, let us celebrate the life of Wenefrida Widyanti and all the differences she has made to the lives of those who knew her personally and the Indonesian research community in general.