Stories

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…

As Hafidhah and her family lounge in their small living room on a late afternoon, they are suddenly roused by the electric meter which starts to beep, alerting them that the electricity credit will soon run out. With eight people living in her home, it is one of the more crowded households in Jurong Bay Pass, Cot Ba’u Village, Sabang City.…, How You Can Help, Thanks to generous contributions from donors, UNICEF is able to work with local governments, partners and dedicated social workers across Indonesia to implement assistance programs aimed at improving the welfare of parents and children in need in outermost areas of Indonesia. However, the challenge is far from over. Long-term efforts will be…

It is a cloudy and quiet Friday morning as Eka Triyasnara waits for her children Zizi, age four, and Nazila, age two, to return home from preschool. It has been one year since Eka’s husband passed away. As part of her personal rituals, she begins to prepare offerings for her surroundings to pray for him. Since that devastating day, Eka isolated…, How You Can Help, Thanks to generous contributions from donors, UNICEF is able to work with local governments, partners and dedicated social workers across Indonesia to implement assistance programs aimed at improving the welfare of parents and children in need in outermost areas of Indonesia. However, the challenge is far from over. Long-term efforts will be…

“Peace be upon you!” The voice of health worker Imran Nazmi breaks the tranquillity of a quiet morning in the Suka Makmur village in the Aceh Tamiang District. He speaks loudly and with a sense of urgency: “Polio is back! It is dangerous, easily transmitted and causes lifelong paralysis. Yet it is easy to prevent through vaccination.” Indonesia…, Staying committed through challenges , Health workers from Puskesmas Kejuruan Muda use a health promotion car to deliver vaccine confidence messages and go door-to-door to answer questions during the polio vaccine campaign in Sukamakmur Village, Aceh Tamiang Regency, on 13 December 2022. Health workers from Puskesmas Kejuruan Muda use a health promotion car to deliver vaccine…, Tackling vaccination fears , Health workers from Puskesmas Kejuruan Muda walk down a muddy road to go door-to-door to answer questions and build vaccine confidence in Sukamakmur Village, Aceh Tamiang Regency, on 13 December 2022. Health workers from Puskesmas Kejuruan Muda walk down a muddy road to go door-to-door to answer questions and build vaccine confidence in Sukamakmur…, The power of community engagement , Emeralda Aisha, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Officer, speaks with a Buddhist congregation during an event to promote polio vaccination in Aceh Tamiang District on 13 December 2022. Emeralda Aisha, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Officer, speaks with a Buddhist congregation during an event to promote polio vaccination in Aceh Tamiang…

As the school year began in Nusa Tenggara Timur – following a long period of closures due to COVID-19 – Emy Bifel could hardly contain her bliss. Her students at Bethania Tunua Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre were inside the classroom enthusiastically playing with a range of educational toys. “I am so grateful that this centre now has…

Ambon, 17 November 2022 - The timing could not have been better, as governments and stakeholders are now gathering in Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). I want to send my message across the oceans to those making big promises at the annual event. I only want my thoughts and concerns about Ambon, the small island I…

Leaving behind the close-knit community where she grew up, new mother Desti Tritania dreamed of a better life for her family as they frequently moved across the Riau Islands for her husband’s work. But after two years, those hopes began to dim as she watched her daughter Naura become underweight and fall sick. Since she was two months old, the…, Protecting children from vaccine preventable diseases, May 18 marked the first catch-up immunizations for Naura, and also for many other children as Indonesia launched its National Childhood Immunization Month (BIAN) in 27 provinces. The first phase of the campaign, which runs from May to July 2022, aims to ensure millions of children are caught up on their routine and MR vaccinations. A second phase…

“Nothing makes a mother's heart happier than seeing her child grow up healthy. And I’m proud to say that I am now a happy mother," says Lisnawati, a mother of two with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes as she watches her youngest daughter Adifa cheerfully play at home in Bogor. For the first six months of her life, Adifa was breastfed by her…, A local solution, Lisnawati speaks to a field researcher as part of the study at her home in Bogor. Lisnawati speaks to a field researcher as part of the study at her home in Bogor. Severe wasting – the most dangerous form of malnutrition – continues to be a major public health issue in Indonesia, affecting more than two million children under five years old. The…, Growing healthy and happy, Lisnawati holds her 8-month-old daughter Adifa as she eats a packet of RUTF at home in Bogor. Lisnawati holds her 8-month-old daughter Adifa as she eats a packet of RUTF at home in Bogor. Weeks into the study, Lisnawati noticed remarkable changes in her daughter after she began consuming the RUTF. Adifa’s appetite began to increase, and she slowly…

Every day, young people in Indonesia are exposed to tobacco in their homes, schools and communities. Being surrounded by tobacco advertising and widely scattered cigarette butts is just one part of the problem. Through their own habits, young people’s lives are also going up in smoke. About one in ten of the country’s 10–18-year-olds are current…, How You Can Help, Thanks to stakeholder support and collaboration with communities, UNICEF is supporting Indonesian youth to voice their aspirations and advocate for smoke-free areas and tobacco control for a healthier future. However, much more remains to be done to make their aspirations a reality. For that we need your support. If you want to help promote more…

As a journalist and mother of four, Delima Napitupulu always hoped that she could use her platform to help promote the rights of children. But after a decade of working in newsrooms in her home province of Lampung, she still felt that she could do more, especially for children’s health. “I thought that informing (readers) about upcoming…, Two days of training for years of hope, In response to these issues, UNICEF collaborated with AJI to hold a two-day training for journalists on Supporting Children's Health Rights through Immunization. The training, held in Jakarta in May 2022, is part of a series of workshops aimed at strengthening journalists' understanding of children’s rights and encouraging advocacy through the…, Tackling preventable child deaths, While child health and survival have improved substantially in Indonesia over the past two decades, significant obstacles remain. According to UNICEF data , there were over 110,000 deaths of children under the age of five in Indonesia in 2020. Proper reporting by the media can play a key role to provide parents with the information they need to…