"My Life Now Has More Direction.."
by Engelina Halim, Training Specialist PVI
If we have come to understand privilege as having the opportunity to attend a good university, secure a decent job, or travel, for children in Tanah Merah, North Jakarta, privilege means something entirely different.
For them, privilege means not having to work from an early age, not becoming involved in juvenile crime, or simply having a place to live that they can call home.
“Going out at night, singing on the streets (to earn money) until three in the morning. Sleeping for three hours, then going to school,” Maul (19) recalled, describing his experience. Born and raised in Tanah Merah, that was the life he knew.
But Maul had become interested in speaking in front of others and leading sessions after observing facilitators from Pamflet Generasi and mentors from Sanggar Anak Harapan (SAH) lead their Suka Ria Remaja (Youth Health and Information) program in Tanah Merah. The opportunity to take a different path opened up for Maul when he joined a Photovoices International facilitator training in July and August 2025. The training was attended by 12 participants from Sanggar Anak Harapan and Pamflet Generasi. And his facilitation skills further developed when he was given the opportunity to become a facilitator for the Photovoices program in Tanah Merah.
Determination
For approximately six months, Maul led the teenagers in Tanah Merah through the Photovoices process. Maul made intensive preparations for the meetings with the young Photovoices Tanah Merah participants, with the support of mentors from SAH and Pamflet team. Maul, who initially did not know at all how to operate a laptop, had to learn until he eventually became proficient because he had to prepare presentation materials for the Photovoices participant meetings. “Maul is the most diligent one. Every day, he comes to the Sanggar to keep asking questions about the materials, learning to use the laptop, and making slides using Canva,” said Nia, a mentor from SAH.
Maul was also not hesitant to ask other mentors if there was something he still did not understand. Maul even took the opportunity during a site visit to sit with PVI’s Program Director over lunch to get clarification on several components of the process that he was struggling to implement. Maul attended every technical support session with PVI and continued to contact the PVI facilitation team to answer his questions regarding the Photovoices materials.
“During the [PVI] facilitator training, it was my very first-time learning about facilitation. There, I wrote down new things and words that I did not know. After the session ended, in my room, I looked them up, studied, and asked mentors from Pamflet and SAH,” Maul shared.
The formal Photovoices Program ended after approximately six months. But Maul’s journey as a facilitator did not end there. After completing Photovoices facilitator training, Maul discovered a new strength within himself. “Wow, I can actually do this.”
The support and appreciation he received from his mentors made Maul feel valued. The principle of Honoring Voice, one of the core principles of shared learning in Photovoices International’s training, became something Maul experienced firsthand. Feeling heard and valued helped him build the confidence to facilitate sessions with the teenagers at SAH.
After the program ended in January 2026, Maul gathered the courage to approach SAH management team and ask if he could teach at their early childhood education center (PAUD). For three months, Maul observed the activities at the PAUD managed by SAH until he was eventually offered a contract to join the team as a teaching assistant. This opportunity brought significant changes to Maul’s life.
Today, he is also active as a peer facilitator, an approach used by SAH and Pamflet Generasi through the Suka Ria Remaja program. In this role, Maul leads sessions for his peers on topics such as mental health, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and other relevant issues.
Beyond his activities at the Sanggar, Maul has also been entrusted with sharing with and educating other young people about what he has learned at SAH, including through programs run by Pamflet Generasi
and Photovoices International.
“The impact on my life is that I feel like my life now has more direction. There are more people helping me find my way and opening up opportunities for me. Before, I was just drifting, not really knowing what I wanted to do. Now, my life is better. Even my sleeping schedule is more regular because I have to wake up early to teach, I have a responsibility. I used to spend a lot of time hanging out with friends until late at night,” said Maul.
A new direction
The transformation Maul has experienced has also given rise to a new dream: one day, he hopes to facilitate sessions abroad. “I’m the youngest staff member here at the Sanggar. My dream is to facilitate sessions abroad, maybe in the Philippines or Thailand, because some of other mentors have already had the opportunity to go abroad and lead sessions,” Maul shared.
To support this dream, Maul is now dedicating time to learning English independently, with guidance from one of his SAH mentors. He is also continuing to develop his photography skills. Maul feels that the quality of his photographs has improved significantly, and when he takes photos of his friends, he often receives compliments on the results.
Everything Maul has achieved so far has been made possible, in part, by the support of his SAH mentors and the Pamflet Generasi team, who have consistently accompanied and encouraged him throughout his journey.
The collaboration between Photovoices International and Pamflet Generasi in 2025–2026 opened the door to Maul’s journey as a facilitator, beginning with his participation in the Photovoices facilitator training. This new path has led Maul to discover a strength he never knew he had: the ability to facilitate learning for other young people and children.
“I enjoy helping and supporting other children as they learn about positive things,” Maul concluded.
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