Impact In Numbers
- Enrolling 484 children, aged 7 - 12 years old to an introductory workshop to create contextual children books
- Out of those, 50 children has been able to create contextual stories , while 11 children have acquired skills to creating contextual children book, 4 currently published
- 1 of 3 published books has met the eligibility requirements as an enrichment book for early childhood learning or elementary education through a Decree No 029/H/P/2023, with 191 copies sold nationally and internationally.
- Helped pool in education saving of Rp.859,500/April 28, 2024
Key Insights
- Identify and map out potential barriers and blockers for your beneficiaries - In the case of Bersama Adya, while their beneficiaries were eager to participate in the program, slow internet connections became a significant challenge. How can you overcome such barriers?
- How can you deliver quick wins? The full benefits of Bersama Adya’s program, such as completing, distributing, and selling children’s books, as well as providing educational funds, take time to materialize. However, offering short-term economic support to the children’s parents, who play a key role in their lives, encouraged parents to enroll their children in the program more readily.
- Sustainable model matters - Bersama Adya initially used a "buy one, give one" model, which posed financial difficulties. By shifting to a social enterprise model with a well-defined target customer base, they were able to provide more effective support to the children.
Berdaya Talk is an initiative that explores the stories of change makers and the initiatives they have developed to support sustainable development in Indonesia. This time, we are joined by Ni Putu Natalya (Zeni), Founder of Bersama Adya, a social enterprise that is committed to improve psychological wellbeing through literacy by contextual children’s picture books.
What inspired you to start Bersama Adya?
Establishing Bersama Adya as a social enterprise back since 2022 has been a long journey of losing and finding. Let’s call it a journey of connecting many dots to craft the perfect necklace.
The first dot is my experience as a psychology counselor and community development facilitator since 2012, which showed me the complexity of psychological problems in the community and a gap in access to information, education and health care.
One of the most heartbreaking cases is a bullying case posted on social media in 2016. One day, I came across a video on Instagram showing a child being humiliated – he was crying as a group of kids lifted him, threatening to throw him into water.
His tears spoke of trauma, but no one seemed to understand that what was happening was bullying. At the time, the issue of bullying wasn’t widely acknowledged.
It struck me that adults weren’t aware of how their actions could affect children, and kids, in turn, often mimic the negative behaviors they see in grown-ups.
This moment planted a seed in my mind: I wanted to empower children who had been bullied, to help them release their trauma. Initially, it was just an idea, but it grew as I teamed up with a group of friends, and we started doing small surveys on the issue.
These kids would skip school, not out of rebellion, but because they didn’t know how to express their pain. I realized that the key wasn’t only in changing the world around them but in equipping these children with the tools to help themselves. But, I didn't know how to make it happen.
This led to the idea of creating a foundation – where children could express themselves through writing and build their confidence, even in the face of adversity.
In 2021 we decided to start Adya Foundation, an NGO with a mission to empower children by increasing access to education, starting from providing children with access to literacy. At that time, we focused on finishing my friend’s project. They are published and distributed through Adya Foundation, and not through big publishers who might have more stringent criterias.
At the end of 2021, they gave more than 500 free illustration books to rural children in Bali.
But,for me personally, this foundation wasn’t just about finishing a project; it became a mission to help kids develop self-esteem, especially those in rural areas who often feel overlooked.
How did you then pivot into becoming a social enterprise?
Running a foundation comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to funding. To keep the foundation and its activities going, we need financial support.
But where do we source this funding if not from donors? At one point, we tried selling books, using a “buy one, give one” model – when someone bought a book, we would donate another to children in rural areas for free. However, after accounting for all the costs associated with creation and distribution, the model proved unsustainable.
That’s when I joined Makadaya 2022, an incubation program where I learned a lot about restructuring and rethinking our approach. It gave us the tools to shift towards a more business-oriented model.
I want to circle back to your original intention - the desire to help children express themselves through storytelling. So, when the children and their friends wrote these books, what exactly were they expressing? What kind of stories or emotions came out in their writing?
Reflecting on our previous programs, these children start by identifying and expressing the challenges they observe around them. During the training sessions, the kids would express simple yet important concerns, like one child who shared a story about having a toothache but being too scared to visit the doctor because they didn’t know where to go. That was their way of expressing their worry.
Another child might have written about wanting something but not being allowed by their parents, and they turned that frustration into a story. In the early stages of training, we guided them to express these personal concerns, but as they progressed, their storytelling evolved.
They started incorporating cultural elements into their narratives, exploring how local traditions or cultural systems play a role in the issues they face. This allowed them to not only express their feelings but also reflect on the cultural context surrounding their lives, which deepened their understanding of the world around them.
Can you share some examples of the books you’ve published?
Here are some examples of the books we have published:
How much of the children's original ideas were edited and how far their stories evolved?
First, we usually guided them through brainstorming sessions. For example, we’d ask them, “What’s something interesting about your village?”.
From there, we’d help them figure out what message they wanted to convey. We had a structured process that took them from idea generation to actually writing their stories. Once the stories were written, we focused on editing, fixing any writing issues. But even from the start, the children would create their own characters.
Let me tell you about Milan – he’s one of the beneficiaries of our program from Denpasar. He loves creating posters and even joined an illustration class. However, creating posters is quite different from illustrating a book, as the process is more complex.
Through our program, he learned how to sketch, develop characters, and lay out his work. Now, with guidance from our director, Milan can create his own books, combining his illustrations and storytelling skills.
How do you identify and reach these childrens? What outreach strategies have proven successful for you?
I was lucky enough to be connected with friends who were involved in the literacy space, so I reached out to them to connect with the local libraries, explaining to them about the program and asking if they could find children who might be interested.
At one point we managed to gather registrations from over 130 kids, and the program was conducted online.
However, we later found out that the turn-out rate wasn’t that great. In some classes, like illustration, only 6 or 5 kids showed up, sometimes even just 3. The writing class had a better turnout, and we ended up with 30 drafts of children’s stories.
Why is this so ? After further investigation, we uncovered a lot of it had to do with the kids’ environment. For one, there were technical barriers. For example, the kids participating from Lombok were in remote areas with poor signal. Technology was a real limitation.
But beyond that, kids need in-person interaction. They feel less stressed in an offline setting. They were excited to meet their friends, to chat, discuss, and share ideas. It wasn’t just about learning; it was about the joy of connecting with others, and that made all the difference for them.
As a social enterprise, who are Bersama Adya’s beneficiaries and who are your customers?
The children from the lower-middle class are our beneficiaries, where our learning hub serves as a center of empowerment. Initially, the focus was solely on facilitating opportunities for children, but from a business perspective, we are seeing adults who show interest in this space.
From a business perspective, we’re currently experimenting with two segments. First, we have training for the middle to upper class children. These are the families who have the desire and the resources to invest in training for their kids.
On the other hand, we have youths and young adults, specifically those over 18, who are in a transition phase. Many of them want to learn how to write or create a book but don’t know where to start. We’re aiming to provide them with the knowledge and resources they need. By accessing our services, not only do they learn, but they also help us provide educational opportunities for children.
The focus on building a profitable business allows us to continue creating impactful opportunities for these children.
How do you address the parents' uncertainty?
Education doesn’t provide immediate results, and that’s a challenge. It takes time – sometimes up to a year to develop and publish a book, then there’s the process of selling it, and only then can students start saving for their education. It’s a long journey, and sales have to go well for everything to work.
So the question then becomes – how do we show short-term value to parents, who are a big stakeholder in a children’s decision to pursue education?
What we’ve been doing is focusing on building strong connections first. Right now, we’re working with schools where we bring in international volunteers to teach English – a crucial need, we found out through discussion with many school principals. Not only do the teachers need English lessons, but some parents are interested in learning as well.
A friend introduced me to a platform to recruit international volunteers who are eager to teach English. The students get to learn, and at the same time, we partner with parents to host these volunteers in their homes.
The parents provide accommodations, and in return, they receive financial support, creating an economic benefit for them as well. For instance, some parents provide transportation or other services, so it’s not just about education but also empowering the parents in small but meaningful ways.
Although the impact might not seem huge at the moment, it’s these small steps that help build lasting connections. Once they see the value, more people will understand the long-term benefits.
But what we really want is to open doors of opportunity.
Building Bersama Adya has its own sets of struggles. After two years of hard work and perseverance, I've realized how much effort it takes. Yet, seeing the children's enthusiasm - something as simple as finishing their books after the training - reignites my own passion. Their joy and excitement give me the motivation to keep going. It's a humbling reflection on the power of purpose, and it fills me with life.
How can people support Bersama Adya?
If you’re a young adult over 18 and already have children, consider purchasing our books from Bersama Adya. It’s a great way to support the initiative and foster a love of learning in your kids.
But if you’re someone without children, you can still take advantage of Adya’s services. We’re developing a platform where you can learn how to write your own book, meet illustrators, and bring your creative ideas to life.
By using Bersama Adya’s services, you’re not only developing your own potential but also helping us fund programs that empower children. It’s a way to contribute to something larger while exploring your own creative journey.
What are some important lessons you’ve learned while building Bersama Adya?
The concept of literacy in Indonesia is often narrowly interpreted as simply the ability to read and write. However, literacy is so much more than that.
It’s about how we continuously learn, grow, and develop our potential so that we can contribute meaningfully to society. In reality, literacy is the process of lifelong learning and self-development, aimed at making an impact beyond ourselves.
That’s where Bersama Adya comes in. We don’t focus on teaching children to read and write, as these are skills they already learn in formal education. Instead, we aim to help children become aware of their own potential, empowering them to express themselves, create, and develop work that reflects their true capabilities.
Through this process, they not only learn to embrace their talents but also create something that contributes to society. In doing so, they become more aware of the issues around them and develop the ability to address these problems in their own unique ways. The program also fosters self-acceptance, helping children understand who they are, what they want to achieve, and what purpose they wish to pursue.
This journey of socialization and growth helps them not just become literate in the traditional sense, but literate in life itself – capable of contributing to their community with purpose and confidence.
If people want to learn more about Bersama Adya, where can they find you?
Learn more about Bersama Adya by clicking their social links below
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