Empowering disadvantaged young people in Indonesia

Dewi’s story: Her Struggle Became Her Strength

This time, I would like to share the life story of Dewi, one of YCM’s tutors. Dewi grew up in a multi-faith family. Her father was Muslim, her mother was Christian, and one of her sisters became Hindu after marrying a Hindu man from Bali—an uncommon situation in Indonesian society. Dewi chose to follow her mother’s Christian faith. She has six siblings: four older and two younger. Her father worked as a daily construction laborer, earning an irregular income of less than USD 20 per day, while her mother worked as a housemaid and occasionally provided massages for neighbors, also for a low income. With many children and limited means, her parents often struggled to meet their children’s needs, including the cost of education.

As a teenager, Dewi could not continue to senior high school because her parents could not afford to educate all their children. At the same time, her youngest sister needed to begin junior high school. Because Dewi had already completed junior high school, the family decided to give her youngest sister the opportunity to continue studying.

After leaving school, Dewi spent her days helping her mother with household chores. She also worked for a neighbor, taking their child to and from school for a very low wage of about USD 2 per month. This lasted only a few months, until she moved to Bali to live with her sister’s family. At first, her sister promised that Dewi could continue her education, but instead she was expected to do housework and care for her niece and nephew. After nine months, she returned to Bogor. To help support the family, Dewi and her sister assisted one of their mother’s friends in selling shoes every Sunday morning at a nearby jogging area.

About 16 years ago, a friend from Dewi’s church told her about YCM. She decided to join the sewing class and received a scholarship to continue her senior high school education through Package C, an official program that provides high-school-level learning through non-formal channels. A year after joining YCM, she became an assistant to Ibu Lilis, the sewing tutor. Since 2018, Dewi has taken full responsibility for the sewing class and has also taught English to YCM’s children. At YCM, she has been able to help her family financially while continuing to grow and develop. YCM has helped her improve her skills and confidence, learn about other cultures, meet people from overseas, and build friendships—all free of charge. It gives people like Dewi the opportunity to develop themselves without worrying about the cost.

YCM always encourages its members to dare to dream. Since joining YCM, Dewi has seen her dreams come true one by one. She also wanted to share her skills and knowledge with others, and YCM has given her the opportunity to do so. She is deeply grateful for YCM’s existence and extends her heartfelt thanks to its donors and sponsors.

As she continues working toward her other dreams, Dewi sincerely hopes that YCM can sustain its programs and continue supporting disadvantaged young people, helping them transform their circumstances just as she did. Thank you once again!