Young advocates champion change across Indonesia

In Semarang City, Central Java, there is palpable excitement on World Children’s Day as 400 students stream into a school hall for a special event organized by the Central Java Children's Forum (FAD Jateng).

The speakers, brimming with enthusiasm, are not adults – they are passionate young advocates who have made it their duty to raise awareness about violence against children to protect other adolescents. They address the crowd in relatable terms, resonating deeply with their peers.

The journey to this moment began in Bangkok in 2023, where four seasoned youth advocates were trained as Youth Advocacy Champions for Indonesia. They learned how to plan and execute advocacy initiatives, including how to identify their strengths and roles, conduct thorough research and develop strategic plans – all essential skills for high-impact initiatives.

They also gained skills in monitoring activities, managing risks, understanding policies and effectively interacting with decision-makers through conferences and meetings. On their return, each Champion trained 40 more adolescents in their communities across four provinces: Papua, South Sulawesi, West Java and Central Java.

"Learning about advocacy opened my eyes to how young people like me can have a real voice in decision-making,” reflects Erwin Mahendra Eka Saputra, a 24-year-old Youth Advocacy Champion from Bandung. “The training equipped me with actionable tools and empowered me to turn ideas into impactful actions."

“As an indigenous youth, being part of a training facilitated by young people for young people was truly inspiring,” says Vanessa Johanson Reba, a 23-year-old Youth Advocacy Champion from Papua. “Together, we can prove that youth-led initiatives can drive meaningful change while honoring our roots and uplifting our voices.” 

These efforts are part of UNICEF’s global Youth-Led Action initiative, which aims to shift young people away from being passive participants with a ‘seat at the table’ to active agents of change within their communities. The goal is to empower young people to lead transformative actions that make a lasting, sustainable impact.

In Indonesia, the initiative focuses on building the capacity of youth advocates, funding action plans created by the organizations they lead and providing mentorship to guide their activities. In 2024, with technical support from UNICEF staff, Indonesia’s Youth Advocacy Champions led projects with ten organizations which received close to USD $5,000 in seed funding from UNICEF.

One such is organization is the Central Java Children’s Forum (FAD Jateng), part of the vast Children’s Forum (Forum Anak) network through which adolescents advocate with government for actions and policies that prioritize children’s rights.

In Central Java, FAD Jateng chose to tackle the issue of violence prevention, driven by concerns about widespread bullying and sexual exploitation among adolescents and young people. Throughout 2024, FAD Jateng conducted the FANJATOUR series of community-based sessions in four districts/cities, reaching 750 children, including 65 children with disabilities in special needs schools.

Sessions focused on practical steps for children and youth to protect themselves from online sexual exploitation and abuse, covering essential topics such as identifying online threats, safeguarding personal information and understanding how to report suspicious content or harmful behavior through official reporting mechanisms.

“In my opinion, this activity is very important. Children today are very close to technology and highly vulnerable to online sexual violence,” says Defan, a 19-year-old who attended the session. “In a fun way, they were taught about issues that might be difficult to discuss and practical steps they could take [to protect themselves]. I hope more friends will get the chance to learn like this!" 

Beyond FAD Jateng, the other nine organizations have also implemented impactful activities, including workshops, training sessions, podcasts and outreach programmes, engaging over 9,000 adolescents directly and reaching close to 127,000 persons through social media.

Key activities including menstrual hygiene education in Bali, online sexual exploitation and abuse prevention workshops in Central Java, and eco-friendly soap-making in Manado, were designed to drive increased awareness, youth leadership and policy engagement on critical issues.

"Through this initiative, I’ve seen how empowering young people can spark change,” says Erwin. “My ambition is to build a generation of advocates, including youth with disabilities and from rural areas, ensuring equal opportunities for all to drive solutions for a resilient future."