According to Yulian Zhafirah Aji Saputri, it is important for teenagers to be aware of the importance of HIV/AIDS and Drug prevention. The lack of awareness about this matter omitted by the public pushed Zhara to learn more and dive into her socialization by joining the ‘Rumah Sahabat’ unit upon enrolling at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus).

“In this unit, I serve as the Leader of Education Division, which mainly focuses on socializing about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health,” she explained.

During her time in the ‘Rumah Sahabat’ unit, Zhara, a Communication Science student of the 2022 cohort, has been participating in various activities, including being the Head Organizer of an event commemorating International AIDS Day, which also encompassed a seminar, visitation to HIV/AIDS foundations, and social services. Moreover, Zhara was also trusted to be the Leader of the Student Organization Coaching Program team (PPKO) of the ‘Rumah Sahabat’ unit by initiating a program known as ‘Kampus Bunda.’

“Truth be told, I didn’t expect to be chosen as the Leader of the Student Organization Coaching Program. Moreover, this is a long-term work program. Despite this, I didn’t regret the tiniest bit as I got many benefits through this coaching program,” she revealed.

Zhara, a native of Semarang, claimed that there were significant changes upon joining the unit, including being the Head Organizer of several work programs. The changes lay in her ability to speak publicly and her confidence.

“I do indeed like socializing and this unit really fits my field of expertise, that is communication science. So, I become more confident to speak before many people and it’s also fun to do so,” she claimed.

Zhara, born in 2004, also gave several tips to be more confident in front of the public, namely by preparing what is to be said and understanding the issue fully. Furthermore, mind mapping is also important so we can no longer rely on memorizing the text.

Recently, Zhara with his friends in the ‘Rumah Sahabat’ unit conducted a socialization about a counselling program, which would be carried out by the Counselling Division. This program serves as a counseling service for students on campus to share their hardships and struggles.

“It’s indeed not as intense as medication as it’s more like a peer counselor. However, we still featured psychologists and other health professionals on campus, as well as the PKBI or the Indonesian Planned Family Association of Central Java. So, if the case is so heavy that we can’t handle it, we would forward the case to the professionals instead. We are so thankful for the support given by the campus in this program,” she explained.

Zhara encouraged her fellow students to be more aware of their personal health and get along in a positive environment so they could avoid unhealthy relationships. Additionally, she also reminded her fellows to improve their self-productivity.

“In the future, I will aim to influence more people to reach out to several small places to attend a socialization regarding HIV/AIDS and Drugs,” she hoped. (Humas Udinus/Ika. Foto: Dok. Pribadi)