The youth group activities in Kaliurang are currently very limited. Of course, it has an impact for teenagers to channel their aspirations and also their abilities. Their routine group meetings still cannot be held as well as other community activities and the pandemic condition makes the teenagers feel bored at home, especially with the burden of piled up schoolwork and lack of attention from their parents. The touristy environment also has an impact on the Kaliurang teenagers’ emotional development.
At first, these Kaliurang teenagers were still hesitant and shy to visit CLC Titian Kaliurang. Seeing the condition that has made it possible for us to conduct activities with the community and of course, still practicing the health protocol, in April and May 2021 Titian discussed with the Kaliurang teenagers regarding the sustainability of their life plans after graduating from junior high school, their situation, and also their hope to be active at CLC Titian. The coordination between Titian staff and community leaders resulted in several positive inputs about the activities that will be suitable for Kaliurang teenagers according to their needs and circumstances.
Finally, CLC Titian Kaliurang has begun its effort to assist the teenagers. It is hoped that the impact of this assistance for CLC Kaliurang teenagers can be felt by the beneficiaries. Titian sees that their differences in school background and family conditions are things that need to be accommodated—they need to know each other better. By getting to know each other, they can work to move forward together.
On June 23, 2021, Titian Kaliurang held an activity with the youth of RW 13 Ngipiksari. The number of participants who attended were 10 teenagers who were divided into 2 groups of teenagers. They consist of grade 9 of junior high school students up to grade 12 of high school students. Activities were conducted separately so that activities run effectively and safely according to health protocols. They got to know each other and shared about their dreams. It can train them to have the courage to speak in public and also increase their self-confidence. Then, there was a presentation session by a volunteer named Suci on the Mindfulness topic so that the participants can be more focused and calm.
This session was followed by the formation of three groups, three people in each group. They were asked to make pictures related to the things they felt at the time, and after they finished they explained their creations to their friends. After that, Dwi Ayu Pratiwi gave a presentation on how to grow teenagers’ self-confidence. Participants were very enthusiastic and enjoyed the course of the activity. These kinds of activities will be held again in July, of course with different topics and methods. By realizing that adolescence is a crucial period for the development and improvement of skills and knowledge, the youngsters’ activities are always needed.
