Indonesia is a home of 63,82 million young people aged 16 to 30 years old (Susenas 2018) that accounts for one-fourth of the total population in Indonesia. With this current demographic condition, Indonesia has the opportunity to seize the benefits of such a demographic bonus.
Demographic bonus defined by the United Nations Fund (UNFPA), refers to “the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working-age share of the population” It is no doubt that youth are agents of change looking at their potential and capacity to make change happen for themselves, for their communities and for the rest of the world. Empowering youth to be valuable partners in the decision-making process for the development of their societies will encourage them to be positive leaders and enhance their civic competence. Introducing youth to volunteerism and philanthropy activities are two of the many ways for them to be involved in addressing social issues and improving the quality of life for their communities. Happy Hearts Indonesia encourages engagement of youth in our activities, particularly in our volunteering and fundraising program by partnering with schools and scaling-up the youth-led initiatives in their schools for a meaningful purpose. Engaging youth in philanthropy activity promotes their social responsibility, develops a capacity building towards leadership and prepares youth to the real world.
Recently, we are partnering with Sekolah Harapan Bangsa involving high school students from grade 9 to 12 to initiate a fundraising campaign to rebuild a school in Kupang that got damaged due to strong winds. Febriana, a senior, said, “this [fundraising] program is a great way for us to give back and to help our friends in Kupang who are in need.” This partnership has become a school project for Sekolah Harapan Bangsa’s high school students as they see that this program complies with the school’s vision which is “Knowledge, Faith, and Character”. Principal Agustinus Joko P. emphasize that this initiative will promote both life and soft skills for the students, he also hoped that this initiative could be replicated by other schools with the support from private sectors to help the Government in improving school infrastructures across Indonesia, so then every child can go to school where it is safe to study. Happy Hearts Indonesia encourages for innovative partnerships with private sectors, development agencies, academia, civil society organizations, and media to work together towards a sustainable future for the young generation in Indonesia.
Demographic bonus defined by the United Nations Fund (UNFPA), refers to “the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working-age share of the population” It is no doubt that youth are agents of change looking at their potential and capacity to make change happen for themselves, for their communities and for the rest of the world. Empowering youth to be valuable partners in the decision-making process for the development of their societies will encourage them to be positive leaders and enhance their civic competence. Introducing youth to volunteerism and philanthropy activities are two of the many ways for them to be involved in addressing social issues and improving the quality of life for their communities. Happy Hearts Indonesia encourages engagement of youth in our activities, particularly in our volunteering and fundraising program by partnering with schools and scaling-up the youth-led initiatives in their schools for a meaningful purpose. Engaging youth in philanthropy activity promotes their social responsibility, develops a capacity building towards leadership and prepares youth to the real world.
Recently, we are partnering with Sekolah Harapan Bangsa involving high school students from grade 9 to 12 to initiate a fundraising campaign to rebuild a school in Kupang that got damaged due to strong winds. Febriana, a senior, said, “this [fundraising] program is a great way for us to give back and to help our friends in Kupang who are in need.” This partnership has become a school project for Sekolah Harapan Bangsa’s high school students as they see that this program complies with the school’s vision which is “Knowledge, Faith, and Character”. Principal Agustinus Joko P. emphasize that this initiative will promote both life and soft skills for the students, he also hoped that this initiative could be replicated by other schools with the support from private sectors to help the Government in improving school infrastructures across Indonesia, so then every child can go to school where it is safe to study. Happy Hearts Indonesia encourages for innovative partnerships with private sectors, development agencies, academia, civil society organizations, and media to work together towards a sustainable future for the young generation in Indonesia.
