GRIEF BOX
A Safe Space to Express
Young People’s Grief
Background
Many young people live with invisible and unspoken grief. Loss is not always about death, it can take the form of losing a sense of safety, relationships, connection, dreams, hope, identity, or an imagined future. However, safe spaces to express this grief are still very limited.
A culture with low empathy, stigma toward emotional expression, and fear of judgment often leads young people to stay silent and carry their struggles alone.
In response to this need, Talk Mental Health Indonesia (TMH.id) introduces Grief Box, an anonymous expression medium that provides a safe space for young people in Yogyakarta to write and share their experiences of grief without fear, shame, or judgment.
Grief Box is part of the pre-session campaign for the GROW Program (Grief-informed Resilience, Ownership, and Wellbeing), which will be held starting April 2026. It also serves as a bridge between personal community experiences and the collective healing process within GROW.
Why Grief Box?
Many young people live with grief that is never fully processed. In a culture where emotional expression is still stigmatized and spaces for empathy are limited, many individuals end up staying silent and holding their feelings on their own.
Grief Box exists as an invitation to open that space.
Through a simple medium, young people can write about their experiences, worries, or feelings of loss that may have been difficult to express.
Grief Box is not just a place to collect stories.
It is a way of saying that:
grief is a deeply human experience that deserves to be heard, acknowledged, and cared for.
What is Grief Box?
Grief Box is an expression box placed in several public spaces and community areas in Yogyakarta.
Anyone can anonymously write down their feelings, experiences of loss, or emotional distress, and place them into the box.
The collected writings may include reflections on:
- loss of relationships or connections
- loss of a sense of safety
- feelings of emptiness or confusion about the future
- changes in personal identity
- unprocessed grief
- other emotional struggles
All collected messages will be ethically and sensitively curated, and then used as reflective material or creative installations in the final session of the GROW Program.
The collected writings:
- will not be used for commercial purposes
- will not include any personal identity
- will be curated with ethical and sensitive consideration
- will be used as reflective material and exhibition installations in GROW Session 6
Grief Box functions as:
- a medium of expression
- a tool for emotional literacy
- a bridge toward a more structured healing process within the GROW program
Purpose of Grief Box
General Objective
To provide a safe, inclusive, and anonymous space for young people to express their grief as part of the process of awareness, acceptance, and emotional healing.
Specific Objectives
- To create a non-judgmental space for young people to express experiences of loss and emotional distress.
- To normalize conversations about grief as a valid and diverse human experience.
- To collect anonymous narratives as a collective reflection of the emotional state of young people in Yogyakarta.
- To integrate community voices into Session 6 of the GROW Program as part of the healing journey from grief and as the closing of the campaign series.
- To strengthen GROW’s approach, which is grounded in lived experiences and community voices.
Why Inspired by a Kaleng Kerupuk?
Grief Box is inspired by the blek kerupuk (cracker can), a familiar everyday object in Indonesian households that is often overlooked. This reflects how grief can also be present in everyday life quiet, unnoticed, yet still influencing emotions and behavior.
Like crackers that change over time becoming puffed, crispy, soft, or stale depending on conditions, grief is also dynamic and experienced differently by each individual. It does not stay the same, and it does not look the same for everyone.
The word “SABAR” (patience), often found on cracker cans, is interpreted as a reflective symbol that invites individuals to give themselves space to accept, process, and sit with their emotions.
Through Grief Box, this everyday object is transformed into a participatory medium—creating a safe and anonymous space for individuals to express and process their grief.
Who Can Participate?
Grief Box is open to young people aged 18–35, including:
- University students
- Young professionals
- Creative communities
- Anyone experiencing loss, emotional distress, or unprocessed grief
Participation is open to anyone who wishes to express their feelings in a safe way.
Cara Berpartisipasi
Berpartisipasi dalam Grief Box sangat sederhana
Find a Grief Box
at one of the partner locations in Yogyakarta
Take a paper
provided near the Grief Box
Write
whatever you wish to express stories, feelings, reflections, or messages
Fold & Submit
Fold the paper and place it inside the Grief Box
There is no need to worry about grammar or writing style.
This space exists for honesty, not perfection.
Participation is voluntary and without any pressure.
What Will Be Done with
the Collected Writings?
All collected writings will be handled with full responsibility and sensitivity.
The writings:
- will not include any personal identity
- will not be used for commercial purposes
- will be curated in an ethical and trauma-informed way
- will be used as collective reflection material within the GROW Program
Some reflections may be developed into creative installations or reflective materials for the program’s closing session.
Grief Box Locations
Grief Box is placed in several youth-friendly spaces in Yogyakarta, such as community spaces, cafés that are often used as gathering places for young people, arts and cultural spaces, as well as inclusive campuses or public areas.
Grief Box Location Points
You can find Grief Box in the following youth-friendly spaces in Yogyakarta:
Participants can anonymously write down their feelings, experiences, or messages related to grief.
Facilities provided:
- Paper and pens to write messages
- A QR code containing information about grief and bereavement
- Access to information about support groups and emotional support resources
Roles and Partner Support
Grief Box is an initiative that grows through collaboration with various community spaces and local partners in Yogyakarta.
Participating partners play a role in helping provide safe and accessible spaces for the public to place Grief Boxes, as well as supporting the dissemination of information about this initiative to their visitors or communities.
Forms of partner support may include:
Facilities and Space Support
- Providing a designated area or corner for placing the Grief Box
- Ensuring the location is safe and protected, considering paper is used as a participation medium
- Making the space easily accessible for the audience
Operational Support
- Supporting the provision or periodic replenishment of paper (coordinated with the organizing team)
- Assisting in informing visitors about the presence of the Grief Box
Activation Support
- Providing opportunities for program activation at partner locations
- Helping communicate brief information about Grief Box participation to the audience
Through this collaboration, Grief Box is expected to serve as a reflective space that is closely connected to young people’s everyday lives, while also opening broader conversations about grief and mental health within the community.
Ethical Principles & Safeguarding
Grief Box is guided by strong ethical and participant protection principles:
- Full anonymity
- No collection of personal data
- Use of non-stigmatizing language
- Trauma-informed curation approach
- Provision of referral information for emotional support when needed
- Respect for participants’ right to be heard without exploitation
These principles ensure that this space remains safe, respectful, and responsible for all participants.
A Collective Reflection
Grief Box is not merely a container for collecting stories.
It is a statement:
that grief deserves to be heard, held, and acknowledged.
Through this initiative, Talk Mental Health Indonesia hopes to open a space for honest and grounded collective reflection, as a first step toward a healing process that is more mindful, empowered, and sustainable through the GROW Program.
Support & Collaboration
Grief Box is made possible in various public spaces through the support and collaboration of community partners in Yogyakarta. Talk Mental Health Indonesia extends its gratitude to all community spaces and partners who have opened their venues, helped spread information, and supported the creation of safe reflective spaces for young people.
We sincerely appreciate the support from:
Need Support?
If, while writing or reading about grief, you feel emotionally overwhelmed, it is important to remember that you do not have to go through it alone.
We encourage anyone who needs support to reach out to available professional help services or support resources.
To view a list of emergency support services and mental health assistance contacts, please visit the Emergency Support Contacts section on our website or click the link below.