Maria's Story - Voice of Baliem Children

“Good evening Wamena, meet with me again Maria in our regular program folk stories” said Maria through a microphone standing in front of her. Maria is an announcer of VBC community radio founded by WV in Wamena. Though she was born in Sorong in 1992, Maria Asso is one of indigenous people of Wamena. Her father Mikakogo Asso is a government officer that sometimes has to move from place to place based on letter of assignment from the government while her mother Yosinia Fatubun is a private worker. She has one sibling which is her brother that still study in Jayapura.

We met with Maria in VBC radio station located in Mandiri Dormitory Wamena. This dormitory own by WV and practically use for many activities such as computer course and community radio. VBC itself was founded in early February 2009 and stands for Voice of Baliem Children. The aim of this community radio station is to improve local youth capacities in disseminating child rights.

“I am very happy to join VBC” Maria said. “It is very interesting to communicate with audiences without facing directly, we have to guess their expression and we only recognized by our voice” she continued. Before joining VBC, Maria is a regular student of one of senior high school in Wamena. She is in third grade now and planned to do something big for her future. After joining serial of training run by WV, Maria became confident and courageous of becoming radio announcer after school time.

“I like to try new thing although for becoming announcer though at first I was nervous” said Maria. “But I’m very happy now that I can see that all announcers are local youth”. Maria is happy to see that all of child announcers are indigenous from Wamena. She said this is a proof that indigenous people also able to be announcer and do a lot more like every child able to do in other part of Indonesia or even the world.

Her favorite program is folk stories. By telling folk or local stories she believed that many children will understand about culture and prevent their culture of being extinct. Most of local stories gathered from mouth to mouth telling and sometime Maria had to rewrite the story as not many local stories are written in a book. During her vacant time Maria also love to sing. As her confident built in VBC, she then joined “radio star” singing competition and win as a third champion. “I was very happy at that time, again it was an evidence that native also able to sing well as I defeated almost 30 other participants” she smiled. “I want that someday more and more local youth involve in cultural activities” she continued.

It was a happy day met with Maria a girl full of spirit and fun. We hope that someday she will able to achieve her idol of doing something big for her future. May God bless you always Maria…

Posted by Willy Sitompul for Eruwok Development

Sipanus' Story - Voice of Baliem Children

“I want to be an announcer someday” said Sipanus when we met him at VBC radio station in Mandiri Dormitory Wamena. “By becoming announcer I will get into people live, knowing their feelings and opinions about some topics” he continued. “It is very interesting when you involved in a conversation especially when talking about hot issues”, he said.

Sipanus Magayang is the first son of Matius Magayang and Ogga Keroman. He has 4 siblings and all of them attending school in Wamena. Sipanus already involved in WV activities since 2 years ago with one of WV HIV and AIDS prevention project. As a third grader of senior high school, already put Sipanus on track of becoming a professional announcer. He plans on attending specific school for journalistic after he graduated from high school. Before got involved in VBC Sipanus never thought he would become an announcer. “In the beginning I was very shy, I got no confidence in sharing opinions or even involved in a debate” he said. “But now I’m very confidence to share my feelings to others, even I’m able to influence someone when I believe I was right about something” he continued. After joined VBC radio station it was undoubted that his name is now very famous among children in Wamena that regularly listen to his program. During afternoon he portrays education info followed by band info. In band info program an interactive dialog with listeners is available using phones that directly connect to a mixer and transmitters.

Voice of Baliem Children (VBC) is a special project funded by WV in building child capacities in expressing child rights through a community radio station. It was built in early February 2009 located in Mandiri Dormitory Wamena. Until August 2009 VBC already has 6 child announcers from high schools students around Wamena. Although it was very difficult to train several children of becoming child announcers finally it comes to a result that someday this radio station will be independent and able to finance itself. Some specific income came from air time like jingle or reading some information for third parties such as stores, institutions, and churches.

“Now I’m able to operate some radio equipments” said Sipanus. “With the experience I received here I believe that someday I will be a professional announcer or journalist”.
Sipanus then back to his seat in front of microphone grab the headphone and open conversation with his audience. “Good afternoon, to whom am I speaking?” ask Sipanus to his audience. We were smile watched at his action. “Hmm... so professional...” we mumbled. Deeply in our heart we believed that someday Sipanus will be a professional announcer.

Willy Sitompul for Eruwok Development

Tarinus' Story - Birth Certificate

That day seems different with Tarinus. He looks so happy receiving visit from our office staff. “Hey sister, how are you?” said Tarinus to us when we get closer to his house in Nambume village. Though a little bit exhausted after 20 minutes climb through steep road, we smile at him and took the nearest spot to sit. Then after few minutes we explain our purpose to visit him. A month ago our field staff visited Tarinus during quarterly monitoring process and one of the need came from Tarinus family was the need for birth certificate. This need came up after routine socialization towards sponsorship socializations runs in every village in Eruwok ministry area.
“Hi Tarinus...” said one of our office staff, “We bring your birth certificate and going to give it to you” Tarinus was very happy to hear the news, and eagerly wait for us to open the envelope contain his birth certificate. He smiled when reading his name stated in birth certificate.
“For long time we don’t know the importance of birth certificate, but now we knew...” said his mother Taiba. Tarinus is the second child of Manongga Wenda’s family. His older sister already has her own family, while his youngest brother still study as third grader in elementary school.

The socialization about the importance of birth certificate was already done since the past fiscal year. This fiscal year the activity followed by proclamation of ownership of birth certificate by head of Jayawijaya region. The proclamation then followed by ease of birth certificate developing process and improvement in region demography office. The proclamation itself was run in July 2009. Wempie Wetipo, head of Jayawijaya region announced that in 2011 all children in Jayawijaya should have birth certificate. Since Jayawijaya is the main region, the policy of birth certificate then followed by expanded region including Lanny Jaya region.

Taiba Wanimbo, Tarinus’ mother had a unique way in socializing birth certificate to other mothers. She often talks about birth certificate during washing clothes and sweet potatoes in the river with other mothers. She was happy that Eruwok ADP facilitated the process of birth certificate for her second child. She promised to do the process by herself for her third child. “I knew now that the process is easy...” said Taiba. “At first, we though the process will be complicated and the cost was expensive, but now after seeing by myself this birth certificate I will try to do it by myself.”
Both Taiba and her husband Manongga work as a farmer. They promised to allocate some money for the next birth certificate for Tarian, their youngest children.
After some time, we then say good bye to the family and back to our field office. We were very happy met with Tarinus and his family.

Willy Sitompul for Eruwok Development