Trustbuilding Program (TBP) Talk #4

Celebrating National Children’s Day

Each year Indonesia observes National Children’s Day on 23 July. This is a good time to reflect on children’s rights and education in Indonesia.  We are grateful that children in Indonesia stand a better chance of being in school than ever before. In celebrating this special day, we ran a virtual gathering and invited our friends, Nenden and Neas, to share their concerns on children’s issues and we also welcomed the participants to share their thoughts. After the speakers shared, we were divided into small groups and reflected on these questions: ‘What insights did you gain from this session and what actions do you want to take after this session?’

Children are the hope for the nation’s future. As adults, we should be mindful of our own roles and responsibilities to empower children as the future generation. The problem is many adults stay immature and do not become role models to children. One of the things we can do is to value our family and understand the family system. We should also acknowledge our inner child, and have quiet times, which will help us to heal and start our self-discovery journey.

Nenden Vinna M. Ulfa, founder of Sekolah Rekonsiliasi IofC Indonesia

When we speak about problems of education in Papua, the problems are not only about school facilities but also a lack of teachers. The Hano Wene Foundation helps facilitate libraries in disadvantaged areas by facilitating libraries in schools and villages. We also conduct classes to teach children in Papua to read and write. I found that parents’ roles are needed to educate the children at home and this will support us to guide and help them grow.

Neas Wanimbo, founder of Hano Wene Foundation.

Written by Yofrina Octika Gultom