Alya S.

Alya grew up in a community where young girls were often forced into early marriages. Despite this, she strongly believed that everyone, regardless of gender, should have equal access to education, well-being, and civic engagement. For this reason, Alya began advocating for government regulations addressing child marriage when she was only 14 years old. In 2020, child marriage was declared illegal in Sukabumi. She also provided assistance for young girls to escape from the practice of child marriage. Inspired by her own experiences, Alya founded State of Youth Sukabumi to empower other young people to stand up for their rights and needs. Together with her 50-member team, she organized webinars, talk shows, podcasts, campaigns, marches, and engaged more than 1,000 young people in local policy discussions to raise awareness about youth issues such as gender-based violence, climate change, and mental health. Through their persistent efforts, they have raised USD 1,000 in funding since 2021 and actively participated in dialogues with the local government on development plans or Musrenbang (Musyawarah Rencana Pembangunan). 

Alya envisioned State of Youth Sukabumi as a space where young people can identify and address challenges in their community. She aimed to bring together young changemakers, provide them with resources, and encourage them to come up with innovative solutions to pressing issues.