Bridging Faith, Health, and Rights in Indonesia
Dina Chaerani – Indonesia
In Karang Tengah, a community shaped by faith and tradition, conversations around sexual and reproductive health are often shrouded in discomfort or dismissed altogether. But when I launched the SHINE advocacy programme as a WOSSO Fellow, I knew that meaningful change had to start with understanding, meeting people where they are, and then walking with them toward what is possible.
SHINE, which stands for Sexual Health Integration for Nutrition and Empowerment, was an ambitious initiative integrating comprehensive sexuality education, stunting prevention, and Islamic values. My goal was clear: build a culturally relevant framework that could be accepted by parents, faith leaders, and young families alike. And it worked.
Over the last seven months, we reached over 150 participants through in-person workshops, developed and printed tailored SHINE modules, and trained six community health workers (Kader Posyandu). By rooting our advocacy in both science and faith, we began to break long-held taboos and introduce lifesaving information about nutrition, reproductive health, and early childhood development.
But SHINE didn’t stop in the classroom. We launched a digital campaign on Instagram (@sexdugram), producing 16 interactive pieces of content that resonated deeply with young parents. Our online quizzes and reels weren’t just educational, they were empowering. Community engagement surged, especially among mothers and youth, who felt seen, heard, and supported.
Internationally, I served as the Country Facilitator for Indonesia at the APFSD Youth Forum 2025. There, I successfully incorporated SHINE’s core advocacy issues, CSE and stunting prevention, into regional SDG recommendations. I also spoke at sessions hosted by FCDO and UNGEI, bringing a grounded, grassroots voice to global health and education conversations. My social media updates during the forum became a form of knowledge decolonisation, bringing these global discussions back home in real time.
Integrating Islamic perspectives into CSE was not without challenge. I am not a religious scholar, and neither is my team. Yet, collaborating with Islamic leaders gave me new tools to engage groups I had previously found inaccessible. This intersection of health, rights, and faith has now become one of SHINE’s greatest strengths.
This fellowship has not only expanded my advocacy reach but deepened my understanding of how to navigate complex cultural dynamics with empathy and strategy. SHINE is no longer just a project it’s a movement growing in influence and legitimacy, because it dares to speak the language of community while dreaming of systemic change.
Through WOSSO, I’ve learned that the most transformative work begins with bold ideas, and becomes unstoppable when rooted in local truth.
