A Neighborhood Hero: Rochayati's Fight Against Child Violence
Cases of violence against children are increasingly worrying. Both in villages and cities, many news about voilence against children that trigger the emergency situation of child protection. However, not everyone feels the need to take part. There are still many who don't care, but that's not the case with Rochayati. She lives in one of the neighbourhoods in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, and it turns out that the children around her still often experience various forms of violence. Therefore, this 49-year-old woman decided to become a child protection facilitator in her neighbourhood. She was involved in the MJPA (Masyarakat Jatinegara Peduli Anak – Jatinegara’s volunteers for children rights) and PATBM (Integrated Community-Based Child Protection). Both organisations are from the community, and for the community's benefit, with assistance from Wahana Visi Indonesia.
With her insight and experience on child protection issues, Rochayati is committed to raise awareness and expand the knowledge of students and parents around her. She dreams, "I want to create a safer environment for children, starting from the family, neighbourhood, and village". Rochayati observed that there are two forms of violence that often occur in her neighbourhood: bullying and child sexual abuse.
"One example of a case I handled was when a student at a local elementary school was bullied by his peers. The child felt depressed and anxious, even to the point of not wanting to go to school. Upon hearing this news, I immediately organised a meeting with teachers and parents to discuss the situation. We held counselling sessions for the child survivor as well as the perpetrator, so that they could understand each other and learn from their mistakes," she says. The process of handling cases of violence like this also educates other students in the school. Not only do the children involved get support, but also other children become more aware of the importance of respecting each other and preventing bullying.
Rochayati believes that change can start with oneself. Equipped with the knowledge she has gained from various capacity building activities on child protection, she feels confident enough to disseminate information to the community, students and parents. "My hope is that by sharing this knowledge, we can all collaborate to reduce and even eliminate bullying and child sexual abuse from our area,” she said.
A series of socialisation in schools, communities, and youth organisations such as Karang Taruna (community’s youth organisation) have been significant steps in realising Rochayati's hopes. Although many people still don't know about bullying and child sexual abuse, Rochayati believes that every little effort she makes can have a positive impact. "It is important for all parties to know where they can report or share experiences related to these two child protection issues," she said firmly.
With the spirit of collaboration and sharing impactful informations, Rochayati is committed to creating a safer environment for children. "I hope, through our collective hard work, violence against children can be reduced, and one day, we will live in a world where no child experiences bullying or violence," she said.
Author: Ersa Lakukua (MEL Coordinator for Urban Jakarta Area Programme)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
