Inspiring Youth

(Published in  BAC Magazine, Malaysia)
Jeanie Leoncia    Februari 2, 2015


by Anggi Nurqonita, University of Indonesia

  Still think in order to help a community, you need to wait until you graduate with a masters degree? Still think that helping people require lots of money? Then you better change your paradigm. Here are several youth who not only maintain a good GPA but also presents devotion towards their society.

Adeline Tiffanie Suwarna

The first time I met her was at The UNEP Tunza  Children and Youth Conference 2011. Being a victim of flood when she was 12 years old motivated her to encourage her friends to plant mangrove trees in The Thousand Island Jakarta. This began the establishment of her environment project, Sahabat Alam (Best Friend of Nature),right after she had just graduated from primary school.


Sahabat Alam tackles environmental projects including reforestation, coral reef conservation, and sustainable energy development. The activities range from recycling trash, encouraging people to ride bikes, holding expeditions to national parks, cleaning the beaches and conducting seminars in schools to raise awareness among children on the environment. In September 2013, she received the International Diana Award 2013 from the British government. In 2010, Adeline was selected by UN Environment Agency, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to attend the International Children’s Conference on Biodiversity in Nagoya (Japan) and was awarded the World Summit Youth Award for Go Green, because of her actions concerning environmental conservation. Despite her hectic activities she is still outstanding in her academic achievement. She took the 1st place in the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC), Turkey January 2013.

“We have to be balanced in academic and non-academic achievement.“ she said.

Adeline’s project website: www.sahabat-alam.com

M. Iman Usman

 Met him during a talk in my university, University of Indonesia. He was the National Best Award Achiever by the Ministry of Education and Culture 2012. Currently he is an MA student in International Education Development at Teachers College of Columbia University, America. His passion in education started when he was 10 years old. He provided book shelves and free courses for those in his neighborhood who are financially unable to buy books. Ever since that day, his interest for education escalated. Together with his 6 friends, they have created a nonprofit organization on youth empowerment and development for social change, named Indonesian Future Leaders. IFL was established on Sept. 27, 2009. In 2011 IFL impacted thousands of beneficiaries with thousands of supporters and hundreds of volunteers. It has regional branches in South Sulawesi, Bandung, Medan and Yogyakarta.

He is also the CEO of Inspire-Cast; an online platform which produces weekly audio podcasts of various inspiring stories from across Indonesia. His efforts have earned him a bunch of awards. He achieved the 2011 United Nation Youth Assembly Recognition on Humanitarian Development, the 2011 Global Teen Leader Award, the 2010 British Council’s Global Changemaker, the Microsoft Bloggership Award, the 2009 World Youth Achiever Recognition by USA Friendship Ambassador Foundation, the 2008 Indonesian Young Leader Award by President of Republic of Indonesia, among others.

Iman’s project website: http://indonesianfutureleaders.org/


Nariswari Khairanisa

My first impression when I met her at the Jenesys Student Exchange Jakarta Region Selection 2011, was that she seemed so fierce but I was wrong. Although we had just met and we came from different high schools, she allowed me to borrow her books for the university selection entrance test. She is currently a student of International Relations Major at University of Indonesia. She is a diligent person since the International Relations Major at the University of Indonesia has the top three passing grade rank.  She is Indonesia’s ambassador for the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT). The duty of the ambassador is to spread awareness about corruption happening in their respective countries. She has been interviewing people from different professions and backgrounds who are concerned in regards to corruption such as the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahja Purnama, directors, students, engineers and so on. She also participated in the making of ISFiT’s International Anticorruption Campaign. In February, Indonesian delegates of the International Youth Forum on Youth Empowerment for Transparency and Integrity will collaborate with her in publishing KAKI (Anti-Corruption Comic). She is active in the division of internal affairs and organization development of Student Association for International Studies (ISAFIS). She also emerged as the 2nd runner-up of UN Women World Congress for Global Partnership Student Competition: Developing the Internet of Things to Make Women’s Lives Better and will be one of the delegates for The European International Model United Nation in July 2015

Naris’ project website: http://nrswr.tumblr.com