By: Elisabeth Uru Ndaya.          

"Empowered women will continue to innovate and think creatively to achieve independence and the benefit of many people. However, empowerment and equality for women will be successful if various parties work together in synergy. On the other hand, it is necessary to increase skills and professionalism so that women have good qualifications to compete. This is an opportunity and a challenge for women. It means that even though opportunities are open and various job fields are open, however, if women are unable to take advantage by improving their quality and there is no social support from the family, then women will automatically be eliminated," said Selia Narwastu Nangi, the resource person in the discussion of traces and control of women in remote villages (Waingapu, 05/05/2023).

Selia Narwastu Nangi, S.I.Kom is a female founder and volunteer of the 'Cahaya Anak Sumba' reading community which is engaged in non-formal education in East Sumba. Since 2015 while in college, she has been actively participating in volunteer programs and active in several character-building communities for children and women until now. She received an award for her struggle for non-formal education for children in Sumba and was named the winner of the 2019 Kanaga Award (Young Agent with Impact for Eastern Indonesia) by the Plan International Indonesia Foundation. On this occasion, Selia shared her experiences while she was fighting for the rights of children and women in her area in Mbatakapidu Village, Waingapu district, East Sumba Regency. She shared her reasons to become an activist, which started from her anxiety at the injustices that were happening to young girls in her village, as in general young girls did not continue their education because they were forced to have families. Selia also loves children very much. She found that many children in remote villages did not know letters and could not even speak Indonesian well, therefore she voluntarily gathered the children in the hills, guided and taught them for years until she finally had a reading garden community.

Suharyati, a participant, asked how she fought for girls in her village who were forced to marry. Selia explained, she made continuous approaches to parents' and girls’ families and approached the local government through related agencies. She became the contact person between the government and the girl’s family. She admitted that it is not easy to handle a case like this, but even though it requires a long process, she has succeeded in handling the same case not only once and that has succeeded in making several children continue their studies well. During the discussion, Margareta, the discussion participant asked what difficulties and challenges she had faced so far. Selia said that at first there was no support from her family, many people doubted her, and even some did not accept what she did. However, as time goes on everything changes, then her family is supportive, many networks can be invited to work together to build the village and even in the next few months, she will take part in a volunteer program in New Zealand. Knowing the spirit story of Selia, made the participants present at that time feel challenged to do something for their village.

At the end of the discussion, she emphasized, “Young people in the village must carry out a movement and bring impact, you must be active and productive, because if it doesn't start from us, who will start? Young people must be able to explore the potencies of their villages and to discover work opportunities. We also have to be able to fight for the weak in our respective villages.” ***