Organization reaches out to vulnerable teens<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Semarang, Central Jakarta<\/p>\n
It was just another day at the small youth center run by non-
\ngovernmental organization Pilar.<\/p>\n
\"Can you swallow a pill?\" asked Dr. Retty Supiyarti, a
\nvolunteer at the center, to the street kid sitting in front of
\nher.<\/p>\n
The boy hesitantly nodded.<\/p>\n
She smiled back at him.<\/p>\n
\"I'll give you these pills to cure your cough. You have to
\ncrush it first and dissolve it with a little water. It's bitter
\nbut you can make it taste better by dissolving it with sweet tea.
\nYou have sugar, don't you?\"<\/p>\n
Again, the boy nodded.<\/p>\n
In the waiting room outside, there were six other street
\nchildren, each holding a candy bar.<\/p>\n
They were chatting with other volunteers, who were using a
\nfriendly, coaxing manner -- including the candy bar -- to find
\nout more information about the children's daily activities.<\/p>\n
The search for information extended to sex, with questions
\nthat sounded like they were meant to test the youngsters'
\nknowledge of puberty and reproductive health issues.<\/p>\n
\"The candy bars are given to lure sick street children to
\nvisit our clinic. And, while one of them is being examined by our
\nvolunteer, the others can be taught about reproductive health
\nissues while waiting their turn,\" said Didik Joko, a senior
\ncoordinator at the youth center.<\/p>\n
\"They can choose the doctor too, if they are too shy to ask
\nabout or to disclose their sex-related problems.\"<\/p>\n
Most of the street children are suffering from common
\ncomplaints that come from living on the streets, such as
\nrespiratory problems from being exposed to the elements or
\ndigestive problems from scavenging for scraps of food and poor
\nhygiene.<\/p>\n
But, the clinic also treats children who have contracted
\nsexually transmitted diseases, another hazard of living on the
\nperiphery of society.<\/p>\n
It's a difficult task to provide the information to the young
\npeople. Sex-related information or education is still considered
\ntaboo here and issues on reproductive health have not been
\nproperly addressed in either families or the classroom.<\/p>\n
It's particularly tough for street children, most of whom have
\nleft their dysfunctional families and have little education if
\nany. Dr. Retty gave the young boy simple, thorough information on
\ntaking the pill because he has probably had little experience
\nwith medicine or a health clinic.<\/p>\n
Advocates argue that the lack of information leaves youth
\nvulnerable to direct and indirect dangers, such as pregnancy,
\nunsafe abortion, infertility, HIV\/AIDS, maternity death and STDs.<\/p>\n
Street children are particularly vulnerable to sexual
\nexploitation.<\/p>\n
\"We try to give them a sort of 'informal' sex education,
\nincluding the physical changes that occur and other information
\nthey need to know about reproduction as they become teenagers,\"
\nDidik said.<\/p>\n
\"This is important as these children live on the streets and
\nare exposed to a free 'life style' as well as harassment from
\ntheir elders.\"<\/p>\n
Set up in March 1998 by the Central Java branch of the
\nIndonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI) and funded by
\nthe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Pilar focuses on
\nreproductive health issues for youth aged from 14 to 24 years
\nold.<\/p>\n
The center, the only youth center in Central Java, has around
\nnine staff, supported by 16 volunteers from different
\nbackgrounds, like medicine and psychology, to run its activities.<\/p>\n
The center's programs comprise counseling, medical services,
\nreproductive health information and education, one-on-one
\ndiscussions and Internet training for high school and university
\nstudents. All are carried out under one roof.<\/p>\n
It also has received invitations from different institutions
\nand elements of society to provide such education. This fact
\nhighlights a growing awareness of the importance of comprehensive
\nsex and reproductive health education for youth from all walks of
\nlife.<\/p>\n
Some of Pilar's programs were also created to encourage as
\nmany teenagers as possible to visit the center.<\/p>\n
\"In this way we can introduce our main program, which is sex
\nand reproductive health education to students who visit our
\ncenter for different reasons, like Internet training or a
\ndiscussion,\" said its administration staff Johan M. Riza.<\/p>\n
The center's medical services and other in-house programs
\ncould only capture 5 percent of the total youth population, most
\nof whom live in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
But its reproductive health campaign can still be heard by
\nteenagers living in other parts of Central Java, like Pemalang,
\nKendal, Salatiga, Jepara, Rembang and Blora, as the teen programs
\nare also aired on local radio stations, such as Imelda, IBC,
\nMercy and RRI.<\/p>\n
The center highlights teen issues like dating, reproductive
\nhealth and drug abuse for its radio programs.<\/p>\n
\"Our task is to answer their questions and to show them that
\nthey do have options. But the decision is in their hands,\" said
\nSlamet Riyadi, the center's coordinator for information,
\neducation and communication.<\/p>\n
Pilar's radio program has received a positive response, shown
\nby audience participation.<\/p>\n
\"Recently, we were informed by the management of Imelda radio
\nstation that our chat show is the second most popular program.
\nIt's nice to know that,\" explained the activist, whose on-air
\nnickname is Slam.<\/p>\n
Buoyed by this encouraging fact, the center is considering
\nestablishing cooperation with other media to disseminate the
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
It's a difficult and daunting task to reach out to young
\npeople, especially those like street children who have become
\nsociety's garbage, thrown away and little cared about. Pilar,
\nhowever, hopes they will learn that their lives are worth
\nsomething.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/organization-reaches-out-to-vulnerable-teens-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}