Center helps teenagers solve problems

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.