Lupa Kata Sandi? Klik di Sini

atau Masuk melalui

Belum Memiliki Akun Daftar di Sini


atau Daftar melalui

Sudah Memiliki Akun Masuk di Sini

Konfirmasi Email

Kami telah mengirimkan link aktivasi melalui email ke rudihamdani@gmail.com.

Klik link aktivasi dan dapatkan akses membaca 2 artikel gratis non Laput di koran dan Majalah Tempo

Jika Anda tidak menerima email,
Kirimkan Lagi Sekarang

Child Pride, Not Bride

Translator

Editor

2 August 2018 15:06 WIB

Anti-child marriage campaign done by teenagers in Mamuju, West Sulawesi. Tempo English Magazine

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The incident a few months ago still lingers in Fahri Ramadhan`s mind. At the time, Fahri and his friend, both still in their high school uniforms, stopped at a roadside stall to buy snacks.



Unexpectedly, Fahri ran into an elementary school friend. What ruined his mood was that his friend told him that she was at the stall to buy some infant formula. "Apparently she was already married and was buying milk for her kid," said the 10th grader at the Kalukku State School I in Mamuju, West Sulawesi.

It was not Fahri’s first time running into a friend who had married at a very young age. According to the 16-year-old, some of his friends marry early because of their families’ finances. Their parents feel that they cannot afford to pay for their education. Meanwhile, the parents of their would-be husbands would then propose, offering panaik. Panaik, also known as panai, is the equivalent of "bride price" given by the parents of a would-be groom to the would-be bride’s family as a sign of serious intention. The amount varies, from over Rp10 million to hundreds of million rupiah.

Observing this phenomenon made Fahri restless, which is why he joined in the campaign to prevent child marriage. He learned about the campaign when a community called Lingkar Remaja (Teen Circle) held an event to raise awareness at a mosque near his home at the end of last year. Not only he felt the desire to fight against child marriage, Fahri joined the movement because he also hoped he would be able to positively contribute to society. "My grandfather once said, wherever I would one day go to school, no matter how many certificates I would receive, none of it would matter if I wasn’t yet benefiting the people around me," said the teen.

The Lingkar Remaja is a community founded by the Karampuang Foundation, headquartered in Mamuju. The community brings young people together, and was formed to run an anti-child- marriage program.

After joining the Lingkar Remaja community early this year, Fahri says he has obtained plenty of new information, facts that were once neglected, including the causes and impacts of child marriage as well as some strategies for preventing it.



Fahri and other Lingkar Remaja members have organized plays and poetry readings on the theme of child marriage several times, at the Karampuang Foundation secretariat office. These events are usually attended by the community, including street vendors who sell snacks. Members of the community began asking questions about the negative impacts of child marriage and its effect on the reproductive health of adolescents.

To improve their campaign reach, Fahri and other Lingkar Remaja members would occasionally visit villages in Kalukku to distribute brochures on the fight against child marriage.




Read more inspiring Outreach stories in Tempo English Weekly Magazine











Young Guardians of the Coast

30 April 2022

Young Guardians of the Coast

Seagrass Group is one of the groups responsible for implementing the West Papua integrated coastal region management design program in raja Ampat.


Hoping for the Dugongs to Return

27 April 2022

Hoping for the Dugongs to Return

Residents of Yensawai plant mangroves, seagrass, and corals to protect their village's ecosystem. They hope that it could become a tourist destination


The Three-Style Teacher

22 Mei 2021

The Three-Style Teacher

Alvian Wardhana teaches thousands of children in villages in South Kalimantan using methods that enable them to understand lessons better.


The Forest Belonging to Injros Women

17 Oktober 2020

The Forest Belonging to Injros Women

The mangrove forest where residents of Enggros village obtain food is a precious location reserved exclusively for women.


Safe Place for Students

16 Mei 2020

Safe Place for Students

Many classrooms in Kupang Regency are constructed from makeshift materials. Some schools got assistance for renovation.


The Village in the Middle of the Siberut Forest

25 April 2020

The Village in the Middle of the Siberut Forest

The Mentawai culture is being expurgated by modern life. Yet the people of Simatalu on Siberut Island are still complying with their old traditions.


Jengkol Against Oil Palm

11 April 2020

Jengkol Against Oil Palm

A large number of residents of Uraso in North Luwu earn their living from the hundreds of trees in their fields, from jengkol to pepper.


Waste No More

22 Februari 2020

Waste No More

Areca palm frond midribs used to be nothing but waste for the residents of Mendis in South Sumatra but now, they make them into eco-friendly utensils.


Water of Eternity in the Sacred Spring

1 Februari 2020

Water of Eternity in the Sacred Spring

A sacred bathing site discovered in Jombang Regency, East Java, is believed to have been built during the reign of King Airlangga.


Preventing Stunted Growth

11 Januari 2020

Preventing Stunted Growth

Regions in East Java are aiming for zero stunting in children.