In Indonesia, everyday cultural norms can sometimes unintentionally pass on discriminatory ideas and gender stereotypes to children. That’s something Muhammad Rizky Arifandi wanted to change. Through his programme Literasi Toleransi dan Inklusif, he’s working to create more inclusive learning environments for underprivileged children in Malang Raya. Supported by the British Council’s UK Social Action Grant, the project has helped open young minds to values like tolerance, inclusivity, and equality, not just in theory, but in daily behaviour.
Rizky’s inspiration came from his time in the UK, where he often found himself in the minority. It left a lasting impression and gave him a strong desire to foster understanding and acceptance in young people back home. His initiative aims to reduce school dropout rates while teaching children about respect, inclusion, and diversity.
As a lecturer, Rizky sees just how vital these values are. “We need to speak up more about this topic,” he said. Before the programme began, it wasn’t uncommon for kids to use hurtful language or reinforce gender roles without realising the harm.
Even the volunteers, many of whom were aged between 18 and 30, were unfamiliar with these ideas. “For the volunteers, speaking about tolerance and inclusiveness are still very foreign to them,” Rizky shared. “We talk a lot about don’t bully your friends, don’t be repressive, but they themselves have the habit of doing that.”
The programme addressed these gaps through a hands-on, engaging approach. Learning was made fun and interactive with games, physical activities, and creative storytelling. Volunteers and students alike learned to avoid negative labelling and adopt more respectful, inclusive behaviour. Over time, changes in how they treated each other became clearly visible.
Students began showing more empathy and kindness, especially towards peers with disabilities. Observations by project volunteers revealed noticeable improvements in classroom interactions. There was more encouragement, less teasing, and greater emotional awareness. Storytelling played a big role, using dongeng (fairy tales) and cerita rakyat (local folklore), adapted into audiobooks and videos, helped convey complex ideas in ways the children could easily understand. Across 16 schools, 36 sessions were delivered, reaching around 2,400 students.
The facilitators also benefited significantly. They were trained to manage classrooms effectively, design inclusive activities, and tailor lessons to meet the needs of all learners, disabled and non-disabled alike. Their confidence, leadership, and public speaking skills improved, and they gained valuable tools like emotional regulation and inclusive storytelling techniques.
Some of the challenges started with the volunteers. "Initially there was low participation and commitment of the volunteers itself," Rizky shared. The team tackled this by seeking out more experienced volunteers and running mid-programme training to boost engagement and motivation. Eventually, they have 162 youths involved as volunteers.
Another issue came from within the educators themselves. “Being a teacher is just a profession, working from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM and that’s all,” Rizky explained, pointing to a lack of engagement from educators. To respond, the team partnered with more schools and encouraged teachers to play an active role in the process.
One of the deeper issues uncovered was a persistent stigma around disability. "The negative stigma about people with physical disabilities, with people with disabilities are still attached to them,” said Rizky. “Now, we are compelled to educate them.” Confronting these prejudices has become a major focus moving forward.
The project is already opening new doors. Rizky shared that fellow university lecturers are now interested in collaborating on future disability literacy projects. "I feel that I understand the point of view of people who are marginal, whether it's terms of religion or terms of physical," he reflected.
By building empathy, supporting inclusive education, and empowering young people and volunteers alike, Literasi Toleransi dan Inklusif has sparked lasting change. With continued involvement from students and UK alumni, this movement is poised to grow, offering Indonesian youth a future rooted in compassion, understanding, and opportunity.