RAKAT Newsletter Edisi 8: Kawin Anum, Mental Health Campaigns, and Child Marriage Prevention in South Kalimantan (Jan–Mar 2026)

Key Points

• Mental health awareness in Banjarbaru was approached through a creative, community-oriented campaign that featured cosplay-driven storytelling and visually reflective posters. The initiative introduced six open counseling spaces, called "Bilik Bakisah," to provide safe, informal environments for youths to share concerns and seek support. The activity built on the Public Participation Wikithon (#4) and culminated in a policy brief proposing stronger mental health hotlines, peer counselor training, and broader community mental health campaigns, both online and offline. This event also highlighted the role of youth in turning participatory outcomes into actionable steps, and it received recognition from the Banjarbaru City Department of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Community Empowerment. (Pages 2–4)
• Initiatives to address child marriage (nikah anum) in South Kalimantan included Wiki Bakunjang activities conducted in schools using the Banjar language to foster relaxed, participatory dialogue. The discussions revealed that child marriage remains relatively prevalent in the region, driven by economic pressures, limited educational access, entrenched social norms, and lack of safe spaces for adolescents. Emphasis was placed on education as the primary preventive strategy, creating safe, youth-centered spaces for dialogue to generate awareness and reject early marriage among students and their communities. (Pages 4–6)
• Youth-government dialogues and digital campaigns emerged as core strategies to mitigate child marriage. Public Policy Dialogue #1, organized under Public Participation Wikithon #5, brought together government institutions and youth networks to translate ideas into concrete, cross-sectoral actions. A youth-led digital campaign was developed to educate teenagers and parents through engaging content—videos, flyers, and short visuals—designed to resonate with adolescents’ daily experiences. The initiative aims to secure commitments from authorities and ensure sustainable, collaborative implementation of the best ideas generated by Wikithon participants. (Pages 6–8)

Newsletter RAKAT edisi 8 KAWIN anum (ENG) - Flipbook by Fleepit