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08 Juli 2025
Nadira Natasya Ciptakan Peluang Melalui Mentoring untuk Anak Muda di Panti Asuhan
For youth in orphanages, higher education and a fulfilling career can remain distant dreams. Australia Awards scholar Nadira Natasya is dedicated to breaking the cycle of disadvantage through targeted mentoring and scholarships.
At Yayasan Muda Bersama Berdaya (YMBB), a non-government organisation focused on youth empowerment and foster care, Nadira has found that many young people are placed in orphanages due to their parents' financial hardship rather than parental loss.
‘Living in orphanages helps these children gain access to education and their basic daily necessities. Their immediate goal is to finish vocational high school as soon as possible and obtain jobs—mostly in the informal sector—to support their families,’ said Nadira, who is currently pursuing a Masters of Development Studies at the University of Melbourne with the support of the Australian Government through the Australia Awards Scholarship.
Determined to provide greater opportunities, Nadira’s foundation offers mentorship and short course scholarships to help youths aged 15 to 19 in orphanages reach their potential. To support the cause, she invites young executives to participate in volunteering programs.
‘When our volunteers share their experience with youth in orphanages, both groups are empowered,’ she remarked. ‘Our volunteers are inspired to help the youths build confidence and skills. Meanwhile, the youths gain a glimpse of the world beyond the walls of their orphanage.’
Youth Empowering Youth
Nadira’s passion for youth empowerment began when she was studying a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature at Universitas Padjajaran. While volunteering in a youth organisation, Nadira became aware of the hardships faced by young people in the care system.
‘Many orphanages in Indonesia do not meet standards. They don’t have enough bedrooms or computers to help the children with their studies. Many of these vulnerable youth find it hard to secure formal jobs after getting out of the orphanage,’ Nadira recalled.
After graduating in 2018, Nadira and a colleague wanted to continue volunteering at orphanages, so they created a platform for volunteering. As the number of volunteers and beneficiaries grew, Nadira decided to officially legalise the platform as a foundation.
Today, YMBB has 250 volunteers in 7 orphanages in Greater Jakarta and more than 100 underprivileged youths as beneficiaries. To date, it has raised more than IDR 200 million ($18,000) in donations and employs 10 part-time staff to run the organisation’s daily activities.
For two consecutive years, YMBB’s programs have been funded by the same multinational company, ensuring the foundation’s sustained impact.
Dedicated Mentoring and Scholarship
YMBB has two main programs: the Kemah Muda volunteering platform and the Muda Berdaya Mentoring Program (MBMP). Kemah Muda invites young executives to participate in event-based social activities, such as weekend visits to orphanages.
Meanwhile, MBMP centres on providing guidance, advice, and insight into various career paths for teenagers and young adults in care. The program helps youths explore their interests, create a resume and LinkedIn profile that stands out and provides job application skills.
‘Our survey shows that because of their situations, it’s difficult for young people in orphanages to continue to university,’ said Nadira. ‘We can’t force them, but we can help them with practical skills, such as mastering computers or Microsoft Office, so that they can secure a better job.’
Apart from the two programs, YMBB is also actively approaching companies to identify potential partners for providing vocational training to young people in the care of orphanages.
Applying Australian Learnings
In 2022, Nadira took part in the Australia Awards Short Course on ‘Youth Participation in Social Justice Issues,’ held at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. The program covered both theoretical frameworks and practical examples of social justice initiatives, focusing on ways to engage and increase youth participation in these issues.
YMBB’s successful mentoring program, MBMP, initially started as Nadira’s Short Course assignment.
‘I received valuable feedback from my mentor. She taught me how to be critical when designing the program. Even after I returned to Indonesia, my mentor continued to review and provide feedback on the program,’ she said.
With the knowledge gained from the course, Nadira secured additional donor funding, enabling the foundation to introduce a scholarship program to MBMP. It also inspired Nadira to pursue a master’s degree to support her work in youth empowerment.
‘When I started YMBB, I had no academic background in community development or NGO management. But I gained insights from other short course participants that if I wanted to continue my work, it would be best to study development studies,’ she said.
Future Internships to Expand Horizons
As Nadira is wrapping up her studies in July, she envisions adding an internship program to the Muda Berdaya Mentoring Program.
‘We would like to see youths in beneficiary orphanages intern at companies that have been our donors. Our goal is not only to provide mentoring and courses, but also to offer internships for them. We hope the internships motivate them and expand their horizons,’ she said.
Reflecting on her volunteer work, Nadira hoped more young people would consider participating in social justice organisations, sharing their knowledge and skills with underprivileged and vulnerable peers.
‘I hope more young Indonesians become aware of what happens in their community and are motivated to share their time and energy to help those in need,’ she remarked.
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