Creating a Safe Space for Speaking Up, CDC FISIPOL UGM Holds Tea Time With Peer Counselors

Yogyakarta, 18th of October 2024—Fisipol UGM’s CDC held a story-sharing event called “Spill the Tea! #2: Tea Time with Peer Counselor CDC”. This event became the second tea-sipping session with CDC’s Peer Counselor, after the last one was held in 2023. Spill the Tea! #2 became one of the various series of events done in Fisipol Mental Health Society 2024. The activity, which was packaged in the form of semi-group counseling, was held in Fisipol’s Selasar Barat. Each group consisted of 5 to 6 students and each group had their own peer-counselor from Fisipol’s CDC. Alongside sharing stories and expressing themselves, students are also encouraged to brew and make their own tea in the afternoon, creating a suitable and comfortable atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.

Valenidha Sulafi, as one of the Peer Counselors from Fisipol’s CDC that later became a Project Officer for MHS 2024, mentioned that this event was held with the aim to create a safe and comfortable space for all students. Remembering this, this event is open to active students of Fisipol UGM. Safe space itself refers to the freedom of participants to share experiences and self-reflection while providing support to each other. This initiation arose due to the increasing demands of safe spaces for students to tell their stories and provide support for one another.

“This event was born out of students’ need for a supportive environment, where they can open up without fear of judgment. Through this room of reflection, students are expected to find new knowledge about themselves, as well as better ways to face problems that life throws at you,” told Valenindha in an interview after the event. 

This event is a collaborative effort from Fisipol UGM’s CDC with Wardah, Hondje, and MariPiknik. By creating a safe and comfortable space that is full of support, Spill the Tea! #2 invites the students to be much more open, reflect upon themselves, and strengthen their way of thinking to become more positive when faced with challenges. This event also supports the mental health of students, in order for them to achieve a healthy and prosperous life.