Carrying the Innovation “Protecting the Future” to Prevent Violence Against Early Childhood
At The 18th FIESTA National Competition, a prestigious national-level event organized by the Early Childhood Teacher Education (PG-PAUD) Study Program, Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA), on September 15, 2025, the PG-PAUD UNESA student team proudly achieved 1st place. The team, consisting of Fawzia Isna Romadhoni¹, Zahara Alfina Divanti², and Evira Mantya Krishna³, students from the 2022 cohort, presented an innovative project titled “PROTECTING THE FUTURE: An Innovation for Preventing Violence Against Early Childhood in Daycare Settings Toward Golden Indonesia 2045.”
This annual competition carried the theme “Quality Education for Golden Indonesia 2045: Synergy of Culture, Inclusion, Innovation, and Digitalization,” aligning with the national vision of cultivating an excellent, character-driven, and globally competitive generation. The event was attended by university students from across Indonesia, who showcased innovative ideas in the fields of education, social development, technology, and entrepreneurship. Through this competition, students were encouraged to think critically, innovate, and contribute to creating solutions for contemporary challenges.
In their project, the PG-PAUD UNESA team raised the issue of child abuse in daycare centers, which has recently gained widespread attention in the media. Several concerning cases—such as a one-year-old child found injured after returning from a daycare in Surabaya, a toddler abused in Depok, and similar incidents in Medan, Pekanbaru, and Bandung—served as the main background for their work. The team also highlighted that child abuse in childcare institutions is a global issue, with similar cases reported in India, Vietnam, Spain, Australia, and Taiwan, underscoring the urgent need for stronger child protection systems worldwide.
Inspired by the increasing cases of violence against young children—who should be receiving full protection—the team developed “Protecting the Future”, an innovation grounded in a holistic and digital-based protection approach. The initiative integrates education for parents and caregivers, a child safety monitoring system, and the strengthening of daycare regulations. This innovation aims to serve as an effective solution for preventing violence against early childhood while also raising awareness of the importance of child protection as part of Indonesia’s journey toward Golden Indonesia 2045.
Throughout the development process, the team received invaluable guidance from Mrs. Fatiha Khoirotunnisa Elfahmi, M.Ed., M.Pd., a lecturer at PG-PAUD UNESA, who provided direction and support in refining their ideas, deepening theoretical studies, and ensuring that the project aligned with the core values of early childhood education. The mentor’s support played a crucial role in helping the team create an innovative and applicable solution.
This achievement demonstrates that PG-PAUD UNESA students not only possess academic competence but also social awareness and innovative capacity to address real-world challenges. Their success is expected to inspire other students to continue creating, innovating, and contributing to the advancement of early childhood education in Indonesia.
