EAST Project Helps Teens Get Back to Activities During a Pandemic
Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, Sensiana (17), a teenager from Kuanfatu District, South Central Timor Regency, feels that her social life has become limited. Face-to-face meetings with friends became difficult, and the limited communication made her miss the old activities.
Lack of access to communication in the village makes Sensi and the village community not aware of the current conditions. They don't even understand how dangerous the Coronavirus is. They only know that this virus can be prevented by washing hands and wearing masks. Sensi also experienced school activities from home, which was quite overwhelming for her to understand the content of the lesson.
After some time has passed and the year has passed, the pandemic conditions have started to improve slightly. Sensi and her friends were able to meet face-to-face and carry out activities as usual, although they still had to enforce health protocols. One of them is by participating in the Lingkar Remaja (Youth Circle) activity, organized by the Wahana Visi Indonesia EAST project with the support of Unicef.
"Initially I wasn't too familiar with this activity because after the pandemic, of course, we all still have a fear of gathering and being too active outside the house, but after several times participating in the series of events, it turned out to be fun too," she said.
The Lingkar Remaha is a place for village children to interact during the pandemic. Through the activity, Sensi and her friends can exchange information about life, the learning process, the latest issues regarding the natural and social environment around them.
Sensi has benefited from joining the Youth Circle. She admits that she is more courageous in solving problems and managing conflicts. She also often seeks solutions that ultimately benefit all parties involved. Sensi indirectly also learns to self-regulate and live a disciplined life, obey the rules and try to be the best version of herself.
Written by: Ningsih D. Nalle, Staff of EAST Project Wahana Visi Indonesia
