A total of 91 Generasi Berencana (GenRe) youth counsellors from 13 junior and senior secondary schools and their equivalents across South Tapanuli Regency were inaugurated for the 2026–2027 term. They are being prepared to promote education among their peers, particularly to improve young people’s understanding of reproductive health, the prevention of early marriage, drug abuse, and educational and career planning. By engaging young people as peer educators, the programme is expected to reach more students and help them prepare for the future.
The inauguration of the management board of the Indonesian Generasi Berencana Forum (FGI) in South Tapanuli Regency and the training of school counsellors took place at Balai Marguna, Batang Toru District, on 19 October 2026. The event involved the South Tapanuli Regency Population Control and Family Planning Office (PP&KB) and the North Sumatra GenRe Forum. Twelve representatives of the management board took part in a symbolic oath-taking ceremony. Prior to the inauguration, the programme included school visits, monitoring and evaluation, and guidance for prospective board members by the North Sumatra GenRe Forum. Participants also attended a GenRe Level Up session to strengthen their capacity to implement the programme in their schools.
At the local level, the South Tapanuli GenRe Forum continues to encourage student participation through educational activities and initiatives developed by young people themselves. Teguh Almuhadi, a student at SMKN 2 Batang Toru who previously served as Head of the Communications Division, has been elected Chairperson of the South Tapanuli GenRe Forum for 2026. He noted that greater awareness of the forum is still needed, as not all students fully understand its benefits.
Through school visits, forum members seek to improve young people’s understanding of reproductive health, the prevention of early marriage, and the risks associated with harmful behaviours, including drug abuse. One of the initiatives being developed is the ‘Cool School Without Waste’ programme, which introduces students to waste management through ecobricks.
Nazwa Ramadani, a student at SMKN 2 Batang Toru who serves in the Human Resources Division of the South Tapanuli GenRe Forum, has also been involved in GenRe Goes to School activities. Over the past two years, she has gained valuable knowledge while helping to encourage other young people to plan for their future. The educational sessions cover the prevention of early marriage, risky sexual behaviour, and drug abuse.
Seven participants from the South Tapanuli GenRe Forum are currently taking part in the selection process for the North Sumatra Provincial GenRe programme. Their participation is part of ongoing efforts to develop young people’s capabilities, broaden their experience, and strengthen their ability to contribute to the implementation of GenRe programmes on a wider scale.
Rohani Simbolon, Community Development Manager at Agincourt Resources, explained that strengthening the GenRe Forum forms part of the Community Development and Empowerment Programme (PPM), which prepares young people for the future through initiatives covering healthy lifestyles, education, careers, and planning for marriage at an appropriate age. She emphasised that youth involvement is essential to ensuring that programmes address their needs while giving them opportunities to share ideas, design activities, and contribute to monitoring and evaluation. “For us, youth involvement is not just about being participants or beneficiaries; it is also about giving young people the space to share ideas and help shape programmes that are relevant to the community,” she said.
The commitment to meaningful youth participation has also received national recognition. The collaboration between the North Sumatra GenRe Forum and Agincourt Resources won first place in the Meaningful Youth Participation (MYP) category at Adujaknas GenRe Indonesia 2026. The award recognises young people’s involvement in programme design, needs assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
Agincourt Resources supports the sustainability of the GenRe Forum by providing funding and transport assistance to facilitate its activities. Ahmad Ibrahim Lubis, Head of the South Tapanuli Regency Population Control and Family Planning Office (PP&KB), welcomed the collaboration and expressed hope that GenRe outreach would reach more schools through the involvement of local government, educators, and youth counsellors.
