Adolescent individual counselling at the youth corner. © MSF
"I am a counsellor for 10- to 19-year-olds as the project is focused on adolescent health. And this is different from counsellors for children and adults. Usually, the difference is in the types of problems and mental health issues they face," says Fani.
Stephanie Amalia, MSF Counsellor for Adolescent Health Project in Indonesia. © MSF
MSF programmes in Indonesia aim at enhancing access to medical services in basic health facilities, training health workers, counselling and providing health education for communities. Fani works in a confidential setting with adolescents who are experiencing life problems. She listens, empathises, encourages and empowers them, so they can overcome their problems and make changes in their lives. She also follows up with the teenagers she has assisted through counselling.
At first, many find it difficult to tell her their stories. But after counselling, they become comfortable sharing stories, and most have become more positive. For example, a young woman who had lost her son was suffering from depression. After undergoing counselling, she was able to pick herself up and continue her life.
As someone who grew up and lives in a large city, being in Pandeglang is an interesting experience for her. Labuan and Carita are only about three and a half hours from Jakarta, but life here is very different. On the main road, there are hotels, restaurants and shops, but down the bumpy roads and through the small forests, there are villages where many people live in poor conditions.
"As an educator-counsellor, I don't just sit in an office or in a health facility. I also make door-to-door visits with MSF midwives to monitor the condition of teenage mothers who are pregnant," says Fani. "They live in such a different place, with poor telephone signals, far from the main road."
In villages, there are supporting health facilities managed only by a nurse. They work well, but because of their location, the nurse tends to visit residents with a motorbike. This leaves the health facilities empty most of the time.
Back to the time without a telephone signal
Without reliable telephone signals, if Fani and the rest of the MSF team want to find the local nurse they have to stop in at each house to look for them or to see if the nurse has told them where they are going next. They even ask villagers to tell the nurse that the MSF team is looking for them if they bump into them.
“My experiences visiting the villages reminded me, once again, that Indonesia is huge. There are so many things that need to be addressed.” This makes her appreciate the hard work of people who are willing to work in remote areas.
Small changes bring satisfaction
Even so, Fani feels confident that MSF and the assisted health facility team have made changes through the service unit for youth. MSF has helped two health clinics to start providing adolescent health services since 2018. "We have conducted training and coaching. So in 2021, we will look at the lessons we’ve learned and then we start shifting control of the systems that have been established to the health clinics. It is all about capacity building, both among the adolescents themselves and among the health staff that have been working with. When MSF leaves, they can run it on their own," says Fani.
Carita's adolescents' mother to mothers support group. Collaboration activities between midwives and counselor to help pregnant adolescents. © MSF
Self-reflection
For Fani, all she did was chat and listen. But from these simple things, she has been able to help people. Their positive life changes make Fani feel satisfied with her job.
"I am even more grateful. And this also makes me reflect again that all problems have solutions. It only needs someone to help open their eyes so that they can see a way out of the problem."
Adolescent mental health education at a Senior High School. © MSF
