Introducing Child Protection with an Islamic Perspective
In the spirit of caring for children, Ustaz Idun brings the message of child protection to a school in North Jakarta. In a cheerful atmosphere of games and discussions, he teaches children about their rights and how to protect themselves from violence. Ustaz Idun's every gesture and word is a hope for a safer life for today's generation.
Ustaz Idun is one of the religious leaders who also works with WVI as a facilitator for child protection and the prevention of violence against children. As a facilitator who has received specialised training in this area, Ustaz Idun believes that schools are the ideal place to spread these messages to students, teachers and parents.
Before sharing his insights on child protection, Ustaz Idun first applied them to himself. "I have a recitation of children and parents and I myself experienced a change in attitude and behaviour through this activity. I became more patient and respectful of the opinions of the community and the children," he said.
Together with MJPA (Jatinegara Community Care for Children) and with the permission of the school, Ustaz Idun held a socialisation session in which all the students participated. The session started with a game to help the students understand child protection issues. In addition, Ustaz Idun filled the session with a brief explanation of what violence against children is, the types of violence that can occur and its negative impact on children's development, as well as examples of violent situations they may experience at school or in the neighbourhood and appropriate ways to overcome them. Not just a one-way presentation, Ustaz Idun also invited interactive discussions with the students about their rights as children and how they can protect themselves from violence.
"I feel that the changes that have happened to me have an impact on others because what I get I always share with others and change is very important to build a dignified society, there is no need for violence," said Ustaz Idun. He added: "We must continue to speak out about the dangers of violence against children by irresponsible people. We must continue to learn to improve our role as mediators so that we become more competent,”.
The children also responded positively to this fun socialisation. The children were happy with this material because it was delivered through games and discussions, making it easy to understand. Through this activity, the children and Ustaz Idun were able to identify several cases of violence that had occurred, all of which were followed up with the headmaster.
As they became more aware of child protection as a child's right, some of the children also began to talk about problems they were experiencing at home during the discussion session. Ustaz Idun responded this with an Islamic perspective. He concluded: "I believe that in the future we must all remain enthusiastic about educating our children, when else if not now".
Author: Ersa William Lakukua (Coordinator in Urban Jakarta Area Program)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
