Against Limitations by Seizing Opportunities
"I have a dream that children in the village, especially those who are members of the Children's Forum, can become children who think critically. Dare to have an opinion, especially girls. Because many children have their rights neglected and experience violence," said Andini, a girl who lives in a small village in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, but have big dreams.
Andini's figure looks like any other child in NTT villages. She has to walk six kilometers to get to school. Early in the morning Andini has to leave so she won't be late. Very likely, she arrives at school tired. The path she took was not smooth but steep hills and bushes. The scenery was bamboo forests and rice fields. It seems that the poor road conditions were not difficult enough because Andini also had to cross the river to get to school.
Going to school was a struggle for Andini, but there was another big struggle she faced. She and other children in the village have to fight to be heard. Struggling to be a child who dares to express their aspirations in the midst of adults who consider children as second-class citizens.
For Andini, the Village Children's Forum is a dream come true. It's not just an activity, but a tool that makes Andini realize the importance of courage, the importance of children's aspirations. Who understands the world of children better than the children themselves? Therefore, children should be given equal space to aspire and be encouraged to dare to aspire. Andini understands this through the Children’s Forum.
"In the Village Children's Forum, I was given the space to express myself, to express all the feelings that I experienced. For me, the Children's Forum is a very good platform for children to learn to participate, improve their skills, discipline, responsibility, and increase their self-confidence," she said.
Because of course it is very difficult for a child to express an opinion in an environment that does not consider a child's voice valuable. The spirit of aspiration easily sags and shrinks because of all the limitations. Andini and other children never imagined the opportunity to speak out before the Village Children's Forum exist.
"There are people who think negatively about the Children's Forum. People think that the Children's Forum is just a place to hang out and is not useful. People wanted children to live as normal people, without the Children's Forum," Andini said. In fact, she feels that the Children's Forum is a very meaningful space for children in the village. "With the knowledge that my friends and I gained from the Children's Forum, we had the courage to ask the government about the allocation of funds for the Village Children's Forum when we attended the Child Friendly Village dissemination meeting in Nagekeo District," said the chairperson of the Children's Forum in this village. In addition, the Village Children's Forum that she leads has also successfully organized a National Children's Day celebration in the village in July 2023. For Andini and other members of the Children's Forum, who were not used to actively participating, this experience was a valuable and life-changing moment.
As chairperson, Andini has become a leader who is able to motivate and facilitate her members. She is also reliable and intelligent when expressing her opinions in front of the community and government. Andini, who now has the courage to aspire and is good at organizing, has a role model named Ibu Yuli. "Ibu Yuli is someone who always supports me and patiently teaches me many things. Bu Yuli has done a lot for me. From lending me her cellphone to participate in various online activities because I don't have a cellphone myself, to constantly spreading positive energy for the Village Children's Forum," Andini said.
"If there was no Village Children’s Forum...I wouldn't have the opportunity to learn many new things outside of school. I wouldn't be able to do public speaking, I wouldn't be a member of the Children's Advisory Council, I wouldn't be known by many people, I wouldn't be informed about children's issues, and I wouldn't have other activities to support me," she said.
Without the Children's Forum, Andini would never have become a child who dares to be a pioneer and a whistleblower of any incident that happened to her and other children. Without the Children's Forum, Andini would also not have the courage, passion, and skills to fight for the welfare of children in her village. Without the Children's Forum, perhaps Andini and other children in her village will continue to be held back by limitations.
Writer: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
