Stories

Putu Kania Gayatri, known as Kania, is a determined 14-year-old student attending 49 Junior High School in Eastern Jakarta. Her ultimate aspiration is to join government security forces in the future. Within the school environment, she actively explores ways in which science and technology can be harnessed to safeguard vulnerable communities “I am…

Early on a weekday morning, Rahman Katinting, age 11, and his three older siblings, arrive at the gate of a primary school in Balong village, Bulukumba district, South Sulawesi Province. Instead of entering the school yard where students are chatting and playing, they walk across the road towards a learning centre in the village chief’s office.…

In November 2022, on a day that started just like any other, a young boy in a remote village in the Aceh Province suddenly had difficulty walking. His family soon learned that he had polio, a paralyzing vaccine-preventable disease that will forever change his life. His diagnosis marked the beginning of a polio outbreak that had to be quickly…

It is the end of the week and the school yard at the As-Asy’ariyah Islamic Boarding School in Wonosobo, Central Java is typically quiet. Along one of the corridors, faint sounds of chatter and laughter come from one of the classrooms. Inside a small, dimly lit mosque, several boys sit doing afternoon prayer. The high school has 220 students (…, How You Can Help?, Thanks to contributions from generous donors as well as partners' support and collaboration with stakeholders, UNICEF is able to work with local governments and institutions to facilitate training and develop platforms to equip young people to fight against child exploitation and abuse in the midst of the digital era.  However, there are still…

The impact of COVID-19 on global learning was immediate and severe and – as is always the case – the world’s most vulnerable children bore the brunt of the crisis. Indonesia was no exception to the rule, with 60 million of its children affected by 18 months of school closures. Children living In South Sulawesi and Papua – two provinces that have…, Pulling Together, The data made a clear case to address learning loss and other negative impacts of COVID-19 through an integrated approach combining learning, health, psychosocial and WASH interventions. Over several months, UNICEF’s Education team in Jakarta and across two field offices worked closely with local partners to design and implement the Safe Return to…, Measuring Progress, Last year, the Education team carried out an endline study to assess the impact of the programme and the results were striking. The percentage of students who could now read fluently with comprehension had more than doubled in both South Sulawesi districts, and in Nabire district in Papua. The percentage of non-readers in the South Sulawesi…, Sustained Impact, “From the outset, we were very committed to trying to measure the impact of the programme so that we could take as many lessons learned as we could and ensure they informed our ongoing programme for COVID-19 recovery and more broadly,” says Katheryn. The programme invested significantly in building the skills and knowledge of key personnel within…

It’s been an hour since Alya*, now 20, has been focused on her laptop. Her fingers skillfully dancing on the keyboard while she scans the words on screen, as if she must commit everything to memory. Once in a while, she wipes a falling tear from her cheek, but she still has a blush of relief and happiness. Alya still vividly remembers her bitter…, How You Can Help, Thanks to the monthly contributions from Pendekar Anak as well as other donors, UNICEF is able to work with local governments, partners, and young leaders to enable platforms such as Jogo Konco in order to support child and adolescent protection in the midst of the digital era. Alya is one of many inspiring girls with courage and willingness for…

When Naila*, 16, introduces herself in front of the participants of an ‘Adolescent Circles’ session in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, she looks like a regular teenager. But behind her glasses and modest appearance, she has gone through more hardships in her life than most others her age.  , Thanking Myself, Growing up, the experience of parental divorce and conflict at home was difficult for Naila. As the eldest child, she took on the role of supporting her siblings through challenging times. "Ever since my parents got divorced, I've become my mom's walking diary," says the school activist. "It's not easy as I have to absorb the second-hand pain and…, Finding a voice, In the same session is Agam*, 18, a high school student who seems quieter than his peers.  When he was in third grade, his father decided to leave his family after Agam’s mom had a stroke. From that day on, life felt grueling. Agam didn’t think anyone genuinely cared about him. At times, he even thought of ending his own life. "One time, I shared…

“I love playing futsal so much,” says Tia, age 11, a 6th grade student at one of Primary School in Larantuka, Flores Timur District, East Nusa Tenggara. She flashes a wide grin – an expression she has rarely shown over the past year.   When Tia was in 5th grade, she was the first among her peers to get her period. Much to her surprise, she learned…, Managing Menstruation with OkyApp , She had a welcome breakthrough in January 2023, when Tia’s school became part of the UNICEF- Menstrual Hygiene Management intervention programme supported by Kimberly-Clark Softex. Tia was introduced to “Oky”, the first period tracker created by girls for girls.   "My first-year menstrual experience was tiresome and depressing. But with this new…, Working together to support girls’ health , Since December 2019, KC Softex has been supporting UNICEF’s work to improve girls’ health and hygiene practices, including menstrual health management, through the #DariSaudari campaign. The focus of the partnership for 2022 – 2024 is menstrual health and hygiene education, targeting 10,000 young girls. The programme is also expected to reach 80,…, Nothing can stop me now , By participating in the programme and using the Oky app, Tia now understands that many things she heard about menstruation are just myths. She has become more confident as she can easily track her period and plan ahead for her football, futsal or volleyball matches. Best of all, she is now fully aware that having a period does not have to get in…

It was a busy afternoon at the Paninggahan Public Health Center – Puskesmas – in Solok Regency, West Sumatra. It seemed more crowded than usual, and something different was now present – a newly installed refrigerator, surrounded by dozens of posters with messages urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, recognize symptoms of certain…

Kinanti was sick of the toxic clique culture at her high school in East Jakarta, where there was a lot of jealousy and resentment among students. The 15-year-old saw that many of her friends who did not make it into a clique often felt left out and dejected. “Humans are social creatures – we need others to share our feelings and to get help,” she…

On a bright Saturday morning in mid-September 17-year-old Eka Wahyu Anggraini felt excited about taking on a new challenge that would put her creative and innovative thinking to the test. She and 20 other adolescents were gathered in Surabaya, the capital of East Java, to participate in the Digital Innovation Challenge 2022: Generasi Terampil , a…, Lack of Digital Access, Besides gender stereotypes, students also face infrastructure and accessibility challenges, including the availability of electronic devices and a reliable internet connection. “The 3D modeling design application requires powerful laptops, which we do not have,” said Aswadina, who lives in a village around three hours away from Surabaya. “The…

When she was only 15, Agis had to leave her scenic hometown of Takengon, Aceh, to continue her studies in the province’s capital city of Banda Aceh given the limited education facilities available for high school students who are deaf like her. Growing up surrounded by Aceh’s greatest lake and mountains in Takengon, Agis was often disheartened to…