Satellite Workshop is one of the education programs conducted by Samsara that focuses on reaching out communities in Bali and Eastern Indonesia. The term “Satellite” are taken because the accesses to information and health services based on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (HKSR) are still largely centered on Java, including the Samsara program and work. In addition, the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Eastern Indonesia is quite alarming compared to other regions in Indonesia.
In Papua, especially in rural areas, the death of childbirth, infants and toddlers are serious threats. The data shows that AKI in Papua is 362 per 100,000 live births, above the national figure of 228 per 100,000 live births. The infant mortality rate in Papua is also the highest in Indonesia, 41 per 1,000 live births, far higher than the national figure of 34 per 1,000 live births.
In accordance to the high MMR in Eastern Indonesia, Satellite Workshop program was carried out for the first time in 2011 with the assumption that information related to sexual and reproductive health rights in Eastern Indonesia, especially in rural areas, was still very limited. In that year, Satellite Workshop was conducted with the routes of Pulau Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara. The second Satellite Workshop was then conducted in Sulawesi Island with the route Gorontalo – Togean Island – Poso – Palu – Kendari – Wakatobi and Makassar. In 2018, the Satellite Workshop will be held again with the target areas in Papua and Maluku Islands which are planned to be carried out on 18 September – 12 November with the route Jayapura – Biak – Manokwari – Sorong – Ambon – Central Maluku – Buru Islands – North Maluku.
How does Satellite Workshop run?
The concept of this program is travel activism where the idea is to travel in a spirit of activism and sharing. Samsara’s Satellite Workshop Team will visit local communities and networks to various regions in order to share information and skills related to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). Furthermore, Samsara also hopes that the organization can understand more about the context and situation of sexual and reproductive health rights in the regions visited through this program.
The program has two facilitators; a sexual and gender activist and a Midwife. Satellite Workshop Team will begin their eight-week journey, starting on 18 September – 15 October 2018 in Papua and 16 October – 12 November 2018 in Maluku. The facilitating team will travel to several places in Papua and Maluku with the route Jayapura – Biak – Manokwari – Sorong – Ambon – Central Maluku – Buru Islands – North Maluku. They will live in each area for one week and visit local communities and networks in these areas.
This program is targeted to the groups of adolescents, women, and men in the productive age. In the previous programs, we worked together with various local communities and networks, such as; schools, churches, youth communities, communities of nature lovers, non-governmental organizations, and so on.
What topics are offered by Satellite Workshop?
In this program, Samsara offers several material topics that are ready to be shared in workshops with local communities and networks, including:
- Basic Concepts of Sex and Gender, including explaining the differences between the two and how the roles between men and women contribute to the economy and public health.
- Reproductive health is usually a topic that is in great demand by teenagers in schools and dormitories. This topic will discuss the phases of puberty, menstruation including Menstrual Hygiene and also about pregnancy.
- Maternal and Child Health, is a topic that is in great demand by mothers where this topic discusses more about health during pregnancy, the choice of giving birth, breastfeeding, contraception including how to involve men or husbands in parenting roles and during pregnancy.
- Healthy courtship and positive body image is information aimed to teenagers and young women. It discusses the signs of a healthy relationship, courtship violence (KDP), negotiation and decision making. Moreover, this topic will be strengthened through an understanding of positive body image. This topic will invite teenagers and women to build their positive body image without relying on body images created by the media.
- Child marriage describes who and what is meant by children and child marriages, what factors drive child marriage and what impacts of child marriages such as child health risks.
- Violence discusses the types of violence acts against women and adolescents, including bullying, dating violence (KDP) and what related information should be done if violence occurs.
- Unplanned Pregnancy, will discuss what choices a woman has when she has an Unplanned Pregnancy (KTD) and what support is needed, as well as its relation to unsafe abortion.
- Making Cloth Bandages, is a new topic at Satelite Workshop this year. This material will invite participants to make cloth pads by hand sewing methods using materials that are easy to find at home, such as cotton cloth (can use clothes), towel cloth (can use towels), needles, threads, paper, and pencil.
In addition to the above topics, Samsara also provides some other materials or topics based on the needs of local communities and networks, such as Human Rights, SOGIE-SC, HIV-AIDS, Post-Miscarriage Care, Body Authority and others.
Form of cooperation
The form of collaboration offered by Satellite Workshop is networking and sharing information through workshops for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights. It is open to all local communities and networks across issues. Every community or local network who is interested to be visited by the Satellite Workshop Team can access information on the Samsara website and fill out the registration form.
In 2011 and 2013 Satellite Workshops, we collaborated with various local communities and networks, including schools, churches, youth communities, women’s and men’s groups, nature lovers groups, and so on.
Samsara believes that information related to sexual and reproductive health is the right of everyone. We hope that Satellite Workshop program can be a place for local communities and networks in remote areas to access their rights to be informed and empowered.