Two International Relations students of University of Jember were invited to be speakers in the Sharing Time program held by Radio of the Republic of Indonesia (RRI) Jember. They were Gilang Ariantama and Berlina Tyas Yuniar. They introduced and explained about the “Kampung Remaja Sehat” (Healthy Youth Community) program. Kampung Remaja Sehat itself is a collaborative program initiated by Forum Jember Sehat (FORJES) with NGOs in Jember Regency, namely Gerakan Peduli Perempuan (GPP) and several related stakeholders such as the Sumbersari Health Center, DP3AKB, and the Jember Regency Health Office. Kampung Remaja Sehat program is also funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Ministry of Law and Security.
The existence of this program is inseparable from the rampant child marriage that continues to be a problem in Jember Regency, East Java. Early marriage can increase the rate of domestic violence and divorce due to the lack of emotional and financial stability of the bride and groom. Pregnancy at young age can also have a negative impact on reproductive health, and increase the risk of maternal and infant mortality (AKI-AKB). To prevent such problems, GPP together with Forum Jember Sehat (FORJES) initiated Kampung Remaja Sehat in Wirolegi and Karangrejo sub-districts, Jember. This activity involved students of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Political Sciences (FISIP) University of Jember whom had previously undergone an MoU with. In the early stages, there were 7 International Relations students who participated in this program. It was expected that these students could participate in finding solutions to problems that exist around the campus.
In this sharing session, the students explained the steps and solutions that can be provided by the Kampung Remaja Sehat program in reducing maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) in Jember. Activities carried out in Wirolegi Village and Karangrejo Village were: campaigning for reproductive health and prevention of child marriage; mapping and analyzing the number of child marriages and school dropouts; Improving the soft skills of peer educators of the Kampung Remaja Sehat program to reduce AKI, AKB, child marriage, and improving adolescent sexual health; as well as accompanying adolescent peer educators in socializing, educating, and campaigning for adolescent reproductive health and prevention of child marriage. These students identified, map social problems, and provided assistance and mentored youth cadres who were members of the Kampung Remaja Sehat as a solution to the problems.
Author : Gilang Ariantama, Annisa Rizkyta
Editor : Nur Zahrun, Pelangi Sinatrya
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