Center helps teenagers solve problems

Adolescence, broadly defined as falling from 10 to 19 years old, is one of the most crucial periods in a person's life. This is the time when people develop their own standards and question the values of their communities. The search for identity is also fraught with difficulties, some of which may be insurmountable without additional help. At the invitation of the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association, The Jakarta Post's reporter Rita A. Widiadana visited its youth advocacy programs in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh.

BANDA ACEH (JP): "If you break up with your girlfriend or boyfriend or if you are in conflict with your parents or teachers, join us at Nikoya FM, you may find the solution to your problem," said a talk-show host at a local radio station in Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh.

The talk show, called Mitra Bahan Jiwa (Soul Friends) is broadcasted by Nikoya 106.1 FM Radio Station twice a week and has been popular among the city's youth since it was first aired in l992.

Coordinator of the show, Herry Efriani, said that when it started four years ago, it attracted only local students who had troubles with their peers. Now, the show also fascinates an older audience, which includes parents and teachers.

"We have been trying to deal with naive to more complicated problems, including puppy love, school activities, sibling rivalries and sexual and drug abuse," he said.

Herry said that professional help is also available if necessary. "We have a psychologist, a doctor and other experts to refer to if we have to answer difficult questions."

Embracing both young and old audiences, the show had the highest ratings in l995 and is now one of the most awaited radio programs in the city.

Nony Wahyuni, another host, added that teenagers here are now more open to revealing their problems publicly. "Maybe they regard us as their friends and we never act like experts. We just share their feelings and try to show our empathy," she said.

The talk show is just part of a series of programs advocated by a newly established youth center operating under the umbrella of the Aceh branch of the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association.

Aside from the radio talk show, the center also runs hot line services, seminars, youth debates and training for students from junior high school to university.

A member of the association's board of directors, Yong Nasvi Rajab, explained that the organization is currently focusing activities on dealing with the province's youth.

"We want to increase people's awareness on the importance of assisting youth activities because our youth will become the backbone of this country in the coming years," said Young, who is also a general practitioner.

The association has been active in promoting family welfare programs, including preschool projects, women's empowerment and family planning.

Young said he was very concerned that youth problems in Aceh have started to alarm the rest of society. Problems faced by urban youths, like drug abuse, premarital sex and juvenile delinquency, have already affected some teenagers here, he said.

"Our programs are mainly aimed at channeling youth activities in the city to curb any possible negative influence," he said.

An association executive, Abu Bakar Midurby, added that the programs are expected to provide the youngsters with adequate knowledge on health, environment and social and political issues.

"It is expected that these young people will grow into dynamic and knowledgeable adults," he said.

A professor at the Ar-Raniry Islamic Institute, Al Yasa Abubakar, said that they have to prepare teenagers to enter adulthood gracefully.

"Over the next 10 years, these young people will face vital decisions regarding education, work, marriage and having children," he said.

Their decisions will be tempered by social and economic circumstances and influenced by family members and also community members, said Abubakar, also one of the chairpersons of the province's Islamic Cultural Research and Study Center.

The professor added that the choices adolescents make will strongly influence their educational attainment and employment opportunities -- in fact the entire direction of their lives.

"It is important to improve our family life and social and education systems," he said, adding that religious instructions in classrooms have been reduced to only two hours a week.

"Many teachers are unable to transfer their knowledge to their pupils," Abubakar said.

Religious and traditional values have been decreasing among some young people here. "It is the responsibility of parents, teachers and other adults to cultivate such values in their children's lives," he said.

Many teenagers obtained misleading information from their peers, he said. "Parents must act as the first source of information to their offsprings." For example, they could explain basic issues such as menstruation, marriage and pregnancy to their kids so that they get accurate facts on every issue, he said.

Problems regarding today's youth cannot be swept away. This group of society plays a very significant role in the life of every country, developed and developing, worldwide.

Adolescents are a vital population segment, making up one- fifth of the world's population. Based on data reported by the New York-based Allan Guttmacher Institute, they numbered nearly 1.1 billion in l995 -- 913 million lived in developing countries and 160 million in developed countries.

There are 42.6 million adolescents (10 to 19 years old) living in Indonesia, accounting for 21 percent of the country's population, the Institute said.

In Aceh, the number of young people comprises 20 percent of its 3.3 million population.

The association's chairman, Ahmad Humam, added that action must taken immediately to prevent youths from getting involved in any juvenile delinquencies.

"We need support from other parties in advocating the youth in the province. We cannot say that there is no problem here. It is everywhere, all young people face difficult challenges ahead," he said.

Despite differences in the life of teenagers in the capital city of Jakarta and in Banda Aceh, or elsewhere in the country, they bear a similarity as they embark on one of the most crucial periods in their lives -- adolescence.