Keeping the Village Safe for Children

Getting love and care from parents is one of the basic rights of every child in the world, including in Indonesia. Children's growth and development is strongly influenced by the parenting style provided by parents or people closest to the child. Good parenting will encourage children to become qualified individuals and contribute to the development of the nation in the future.  

Through the Cocoa Life program, WVI in collaboration with Mondelez wants to contribute in building this nation’s brighter future through the initiation of Integrated Community-Based Child Protection (PATBM) committees. To date, 89 villages in Kolaka Regency and East Kolaka Regency already have PATBM through the initiation of the Cocoa Life program. PATBM is primarily tasked with promoting and preventing violence against children and providing case assistance including encouraging positive parenting.  

Bapak Rici (32) is a PATBM committee member in one of WVI's assisted villages in Kolaka District. PATBM in his village was established in 2020 and is still a priority of the village government today. "After being involved in PATBM activities that focus on child protection, I hope that children in my village will receive love from their parents and avoid all types of violence. They will grow up to be children who have good morals, in religion and in the family," said the Deputy Chairperson of the PATBM Committee in the village. 

Before becoming a committee member, Mr. Rici did not know about who children are, children's rights, child labor, and why children must be protected. However, after actively participating in training activities with WVI, Pak Rici gained new insights that encouraged him to do something for the children in his village. 

Pak Rici also involved in the Parenting with Love (PDC) activity organized by WVI together with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Palu City in September 2022. Session after training session made Pak Rici even more burdened for the children in his village. He wants to be able to change the poor parenting style that are still applied by parents. "Such parenting is certainly bad for children. I want parents in the village to also understand good parenting. This kind of knowledge should not be limited to me," said Mr. Rici. 

The commitment he stated after the training was followed up in February 2023. Pak Rici took the initiative to socialize the formation of the Soleh Child Character to children in one of the mosques in his village.  Then he also did the same thing in one of the elementary schools in his village. Through these two socializations, Pak Rici managed to share insights with 110 children and 32 parents. 

Pak Rici is even more committed and enthusiastic about sharing insights because PATBM in his village has received budget allocations from the village government. For next year, the village government has allocated Rp 5,000,000 for activities related to child protection issues. 

With sincere determination and support from the village government, Quran recitation centers (TPQ) and schools, Pak Rici will continue to promote child protection and positive parenting in the village. He hopes that parents and all people who contribute to the growth and development of children can play an active role and care about child protection issues. 

Writer: Jumpa Sitopu (Cocoa Life Program Coordinator in Kolaka)