In the midst of werking hour... but i need to write something.

Yesterday i heard the news about FMSA brothers n sisters going to Aceh for a weekend visit to do some basic assessment. I know for a fact that they're planning a long-term intervention for the children in the affected area. Initially... i wanted to go. But....

I've been receiving calls from members of the public (Malays, and Muslims i assume) about teenagers who're pregnant out of wedlock. That surprised me. I can safely say that i've been talking to distraught parents and teenagers themselves about that matter for at least once a day! That's a lot!!!!!! Those calls are not inclusive of those received by my colleagues and those referred by ROMM. What's the world becoming into??????

Putting two and two together, i realised that, there's still a lot of work NEED to be done here, locally. If we observe and listen to the experiences by those who've been to Aceh and Melabouh, the victims (children and adults alike) are often described as strong, and resilient. They seem to be able to pick up from where they left (and what's left) and move on. And knowing Acehnese culture, the youths there are also widely known to be morally secured and strong. InsyaAllah, they dun need another human being to hold their hand to survive... they only need Allah, as Allah is already in their hearts and minds.

How about youths in Singapore????? Can they survive if tragedy happens unto them? Are they THAT resilient??

Our youth community is being swiped away by a different type of tsunami. The tsunami of temptations... the tsunami of moral danger... and it keeps coming non-stop. How are they gonna survive? How many are helping? I wonder.....

I'm scared. I'm scared for myself. Scared that one day, perhaps, i might be swiped away... together with them... hanyut... I'm scared that i wont be able to save them.... able to only witness them drowned... with the rest... I'm scared that my family may be exposed to the danger.... I'm scared that MY children will have to grow up in that kind of environment where pre-marital sex is acceptable by the society... How can i prepare them? How can i control this?

I can't stop stressing that A LOT of help is needed by the youths in Singapore. Out of wedlock pregnancies is at the verge of becoming a norm among our community. I recall my conversation with one of the callers. An aunt, who's trying to help her niece who's pregnant. She mentioned a sentence which disturbs me: "Hello, Pusat Khidmat Keluarga? Ok lar.. saya tak perlu berselindung lagi lar eh.. lagi pon, ini dah macam perkara biasa kan? Macam gini.. anak sedara saya mengandung.. belum kahwin. Baru 18 tahun. Apa yang harus dia lakukan?"

My heart stopped for a while.

Solution at the moment... (wearing my Social Work cap): My role, hmmmm... OUR role is to help them help themselves by realising their strengths and resources available in their system. To facilitate an encouraging environment for them to continue and accelerate their development from teenagehood to adulthood. To prevent the same mistake from happening again, as well as to prevent possible divorce issues that MAY happen to these young couples. That's remedial solution - firefighting method. Its also important to develop youths from young. Start from school.... teach them simple social skills... teach them how to be a good friend.... teach them how to be a good son... teach them how to be good leaders... basically, teach them positive relationship building.

I think, these youths need good role models around them (dah macam cliche dah ni). Not the really OLD role models or those who are so far-fetched for them. Just a simple youth whom they can identify with. The kind of youth that kind exude positive spirit towards others. Youths need that.

I always think of myself as an at-risk youth (in my own way). I've done a lot of inappropriate things, and still doing it. I'm saved (kinda) by being with friends who are good, who REMIND me of goodness, of what's right and wrong. I change. And of course, i forgot, and 'delinquent', and i'm reminded again. That's part of growing up. We need people to remind ourselves. Wal 'Asr, Innal Insaana lafi Khusr. Illalla dziina aamanu, wa amilussaalihaat, wa tawa saubil haq (recommend people to the truths - al-ma'ruf, all kinds of good deeds), wa tawa saubis sabr...

Youths and children in Aceh are in good hands. They're able to stand up, and build up their own community. Holding their hands for too long means not believing that they're capable of being self-reliant. There's a limit in what we can do for other community. Too much help will only do much harm. Remember that!

We need ALL the resources to recommend OUR LOCAL youths to the truths.
To be a world ready youth also means to be a community conscious youth.

Think bout that!

Humaira..... firmly rooted, aspiring the World for local youths.