ADANG, NTT province, Indonesia, April 2014 - It’s an important week for the Ani family from Adang village on the island of Alor in Nusa Tengarra Timur province (NTT). Three days ago they finally finished building their new latrine.
It stands behind their brick and wood house surrounded by banana trees and undergrowth. The toilet is shielded from view by a simple structure made from wooden poles and plastic sheeting. But the latrine is among the most sophisticated in the village.
JAYAWIJAYA, Indonesia, June 2014 - Neli Kogoya, 23, sits on the floor of a communal house that she shares with two other families. She cradles a two-week old baby wrapped in a blanket on her lap, while a nurse checks her blood pressure. It is election season and convoys of trucks pass by outside, broadcasting campaign messages through megaphones. The house is in Sapalek village in Jayawijaya, a remote mountainous region of Papua. Neli works here as a caterer, while her husband is away studying. She has two children – a girl Yosiana, who is nearly two years old, and baby boy Eliup, who was born just two weeks ago.
by Lauren Rumble, Chief, Child Protection,
UNICEF Indonesia
Michelin is 17 years
old and is the President of the Child Forum in Makassar. I met her in May this
year on my first visit to Makassar, along with other leaders of the Forum, and
I asked them about their opinions on violence against children in the city.
She believes that
violence against children, especially child trafficking and sexual violence against
children living and working on the streets are major concerns for Makassar’s
children.
“Not enough is being
done about these issues,” she says.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 2014 - Actor, model and entrepreneur Ferry
Salim is celebrating 10 years as UNICEF Indonesia’s National Ambassador.
It was June 2004, when UNICEF approached him and asked him if he would
be prepared to work as an advocate for children’s rights.
A father of three children, he readily agreed.
Just six months later, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck northern Sumatra
as well as Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and many other countries, leaving 230,000
people dead.
Millions of eyes will be on
Brazil this week when the international footballing elite meet for the World
Cup finals. Football is hugely popular in many countries and there’s no doubt
that sport is a unifying force. But not every child has access to physical
education, games and sports. In Indonesia, traditionally most schools do not
consider physical education a priority. Children with special needs are often
unable to take part in the sports on offer. And many teachers think cleaning or
gardening are adequate “sports” for girls.
Playing sports and games is
good for children’s health. It also teaches skills like team work and improves
speed, agility and perception. Four years ago, UNICEF, in cooperation with the
Ministry of National Education, began work to improve access to inclusive
physical education, sports and play in Indonesia. The Sports for Development
programme was introduced in one district in each of four different provinces -
Jakarta, West Java, East Java and South Sulawesi.
UNICEF has helped to train
teachers from these provinces in how to build sports into the school timetable.
The teachers have been introduced to games which special needs pupils and other
students can play together. They have also learned how to make sports equipment
out of cheap, readily available materials. UNICEF is producing a number of
materials so that the Sports for Development programme can be replicated in
other districts across the country.
By Anup Tiwari, Chief, Private Fundraising and Partnerships, UNICEF Indonesia
Pandes Village, Central Java, Indonesia, May 2014 - As the Chief of private fundraising and partnerships in UNICEF Indonesia's Jakarta office, I spend a lot of my time in office buildings - at my desk, in meetings or on the phone. But in early May, I found myself cross-legged on the floor of a huge bamboo building in Pandes village, Central Java, watching a group of expectant mothers play a fishing game.
I’d come with several
colleagues to see one of UNICEF’s programmes in action. With the Government of
Indonesia, we’ve helped to train a local midwife and several volunteers, known
as cadres, to teach women about good nutrition both during pregnancy and after
their baby is born. The cadres also work with fathers and older members of the
community so that they can best support these new mothers.
By Ali Aulia Ramly, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist
Last week in front of more than 100 academics, civil servants, politicians and experts from around the world, one woman - a high-level, experienced professional herself - ended her presentation by telling the story of how she was sexually abused as a child.
I, and everyone else in the hotel conference room, including
a delegation from the Government of Indonesia, was shocked to find out that one
of our peers had experienced this and admitted it in front of colleagues.
We were all child protection experts attending a three-day
Global Meeting on Violence against Children in Ezulwini, Swaziland. But we had
not thought that one among our number could have been a victim of violence
during childhood.
