Inspirational young people from COVID-19 Diaries
Get to know the inspiring adolescents and youth participating in the COVID-19 Diaries campaign
- Available in:
- English
- Bahasa Indonesia
Since we first announced the COVID-19 Diaries initiative back in April 2020, we have received more than 800 submissions from adolescents and youth sharing their experiences and stories of navigating life through the pandemic.
Each month, we will select one profile to be featured as part of our series “Young People of Inspiration.” Let's get to know them and get inspired by their actions!
| August 2020 | Yonathan Bimo Satrio |
| July 2020 | Rizka Raisa Fatimah Ramli |
| June 2020 | Lulu Il Asshafa |
Yonathan Bimo Satrio
Yonathan Bimo Satrio, or Bimo, as he is usually called, is from Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, and currently studies at Atma Jaya University in Yogyakarta, where he majors in sociology. Bimo loves to dance, draw, colour and create video content. Before the pandemic, Bimo spent his days participating in lectures and contributing to several campus communities, including On Fire and Tepus Story. In addition, Bimo dances every week. However, everything changed since the pandemic. Bimo returned home to Banjarbaru and is spending time with his family. All these activities are now taking place online through social media. During this time, Bimo continues to dance, create video content, draw, colour and plant various organic vegetable plants to stay productive and motivated.
“Everything will be beautiful in its time and we’re heading towards a better future,” is the title of his artwork. Bimo's inspiration came from his experiences with the Tepus Story community where he had the opportunity to teach children in Tepus and saw their passion for learning. However, he added, they don't forget to enjoy playing. "The pandemic is a challenge to start anew. It changed everything, but not our passion for a fresh start,” he explained. “Maybe you feel bored and tired at home, but you need to believe that one day you can get the key to a better future.”
Bimo hopes that after the pandemic is over, people will have better health and hygiene habits, such as eating healthy foods, washing hands frequently and always wearing masks when they are out. He also wants to continue to write in his daily journal and share stories with friends about the many things we learned during the pandemic.
As a closing to his story, Bimo shared his dream that he wanted to achieve someday: “My dream is to build an organization or NGO for children. I want this organization to focus on the welfare of children and young people by being a place for them to contribute and learn empathy.”
See Bimo's artwork
“The pandemic changed everything, but not our passion for fresh start. Maybe you feel bored and tired at home, but you need to believe that one day you can get the key to a better future.”
Rizka Raisa Fatimah Ramli
Rizka Raisa Fatimah Ramli, 19, lives in Makassar. Before the pandemic, she spent her days visiting the local library to study and draw or attend the drawing club. Since the pandemic, Rizka has spent her time studying and drawing at home and resting.
“Not everyone can feel safe in their own ‘home'’ is the title and message that Rizka wants to convey through her work for #COVID19Diaries, which was inspired by stories she read on the internet about domestic violence. The COVID19 pandemic and the social conditions that have followed can lead to an increased risk of children experiencing domestic violence. Rizka also heard various responses about her work. There were also some people who saw other messages, such as differences in the "class" of society in dealing with pandemic. But for Rizka, each of her works can have multiple interpretations, and she hopes they will inspire many people.
Rizka also expressed a message for all of us who are facing the pandemic: "This pandemic is a difficult time for all of us. Staying at home may feel boring, but hopefully people will only leave the house if it is necessary to reduce transmission. If your house no longer feels like 'home', make sure you contact your friends or other people you trust."
See Rizka's artwork
"If your house no longer feels like 'home', make sure you contact your friends or other people you trust."
Lulu Il Asshafa
Lulu Il Asshafa has just graduated from SMA Negeri 1 Purworejo and is currently preparing for university.
Based on the material provided from the videography workshop organised by UNICEF and Yayasan Setara, Lulu created a video that was published by UNICEF and received a warm response from many, with more than 260,000 likes. Lulu hopes her work can inspire all of us to spend the time we have during the pandemic productively.
Lulu also encouraged us to take care of our health during the pandemic. Not only our physical health, but also the health of our mind and heart. Let's maintain physical health by staying at home, wearing a mask when going outside and washing our hands frequently. It is also important to maintain a healthy mind by staying productive and to maintain a healthy heart by performing prayers at home.
"I wish the pandemic can be over soon, the economy will recover soon and education will return to normal. Indonesia is ready to welcome a new era with new strength," said Lulu in her closing message.
See Lulu's artwork
"I wish the pandemic can be over soon, the economy will recover soon and education will return to normal. Indonesia is ready to welcome a new era with new strength."