Empowering the Next Generation: How Esty Mentors Children in West Kalimantan

Esty, a Biology Education student at one of the universities in Pontianak, has undergone a remarkable transformation through her involvement with Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) and the Ambawang Children's Forum. Once a shy and hesitant individual, she has dedicated herself to mentoring and guiding children along the Ambawang River in Pontianak to explore their potential. 

Esty initially felt limited in developing her own potential. In 2015, she first encountered WVI through the Children's Forum. Previously, Esty was awkward and hesitant to interact with others. However, she experienced a significant change since becoming involved in the Ambawang Children's Forum. Through the training and support provided by WVI, Esty began to build strong self-confidence and effective communication skills. She also started learning facilitation skills and became a reliable figure in her community. 

This year, she continues to actively mentor the Children's Forum in her community as a peer mentor. As a child, Esty had the experience of being guided by others in developing her own potential. This is the reason why Esty now wants to help other children develop their own potential. Based on this experience and desire, this year Esty has started actively helping and mentoring children in her community to develop their potential. 

During her time as a Children's Forum mentor and participating in children's activities with WVI, Esty has continuously improved her capacity to organize activities on both small and large scales, enhance her ability to socialize and communicate with others, and gain a deeper understanding of child protection. 

According to Esty, WVI's intervention has also positively impacted the community. Children in the Ambawang Children's Forum have begun to find greater self-confidence. WVI's intervention program continues by providing support, training, and facilitation to the child community, focusing on developing children's potential and providing the necessary mentoring. "Hopefully, the children will continue to develop and sharpen their potential, so that they can later take it to a higher level, namely, in college or in a wider environment," she said. 

Author: Adrianto (MEAL Coordinator for Kubu Raya Area Programme) 

Editor: Amarissa Kayla (Intern in Marketing Communications unit)