13 Kilometers into the Future

That afternoon, Sanda looked very excited to be a facilitator of the Forum Anak Kelurahan (FORAKEL) activity organized by Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) through the Flores Program Implementation Area (PIA) in one of the villages in Nagekeo. Her communication is characterized by a clear and child-friendly language that ensures the participants in this activity readily comprehend her. Occasionally, she collaborated with Nano, a fellow Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) who was also a facilitator of this activity.

“This is my first time to be a FORAKEL facilitator, I am confident that I can share my experience and information with my fellow participants because I have been repeatedly involved in Plan Indonesia’s activities,” said Sanda.

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Sanda (17) is Plan Indonesia’s sponsored child from one of the villages in Nagekeo. She attends one of the high schools in the regency. She aspires to pursue a law degree at the University of Indonesia, a discipline that delves into laws and regulations aimed at safeguarding the rights of women and children. To fulfill her dream, Sanda undertakes a daily 13-kilometer journey to reach her school.

Sanda began to develop herself through the Memilih Masa Depan (MAPAN) activities organized by Plan Indonesia in her village. At first, she was a young girl who rarely socialized with the surrounding community, but after joining MAPAN, she became an active youth in voicing the rights of children and women in her neighbourhood, as well as in her school. Sanda’s persistence eventually led her to become the President of the Intra-School Student Organization (OSIS) where she studied.

“I was very interested in the materials on child marriage, gender equality, and reproductive health that I received from MAPAN. Since then, I have been actively voicing these issues in my environment, especially at school,” said Sanda.

Sanda shared that as Student Council President, she has always been a facilitator for children’s rights, child marriage, and gender equality in extracurricular activities at her school. Sanda is also a youth health cadre from the School Health Unit. As a youth health cadre, the teacher often consults and asks her to become the facilitator of reproductive health materials and youth social relationships to fill in the empty lesson hours.

Since joining MAPAN, Sanda has experienced significant changes. This change is a source of pride for her parents. Sanda’s father works as a farmer, and his mother is a housewife who lives in a village with a strong patriarchal culture. Seeing the potential and development of their child, the couple strongly supports Sanda to develop herself according to her interests and talents. One of them is by participating in activities organized by Plan Indonesia.

“As a parent, I am very proud of what Sanda has achieved now. Our prayer and hope is that Sanda will be guided and given a path by Allah to achieve all her goals,” said Idrus (50), Sanda’s father.

She also shared that as a sponsored child from Plan Indonesia, Sanda once received a pair of ducks as operational training for the entrepreneurship module in the MAPAN program. Sanda diligently took care of the pair of ducks until the ducks multiplied and became as many as they are today. “She is a very diligent child, she takes good care of her ducks, and people often come to buy the ducks that she takes care of. She saves the money she earns from selling the ducks. Often her school tuition fees and needs are taken from the savings from raising the ducks,” said Idrus.

Sanda’s perseverance in developing herself has also led her to achieve various prestigious achievements. While still in the first grade of high school, Sanda was sent to become an Ambassador of the Village Children Forum of East Nusa Tenggara Province, which was tasked with providing an assessment and perspective on the performance of Plan Indonesia and the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia. Furthermore, in March 2023, Sanda also became a representative of Nagekeo youth to participate in the Youth-Led Climate Resilience (YLCR) activity held in Kupang to discuss climate change issues.

“These two achievements are very memorable for me, and I am deeply grateful to Plan Indonesia because, through the activities it organizes, I gain knowledge and opportunities that may not be enjoyed by children my age,” said the student who has consistently topped her class. In addition, the youth who aspires to become a lawyer also hopes that Plan Indonesia will be more active in building a good understanding of children’s rights in Nagekeo and making her neighbourhood a child-friendly village.

Written By: Alfred Ike Wurin | Editor: Agus Haru | Photo: Plan Indonesia/Alfred Ike Wurin