Three Winning Creators, One Region: How TikTok LIVE Became Their Space to Educate, Inspire and Celebrate Local Stories
The ASEAN LIVE Creators for Change Programme, supported by TikTok LIVE and delivered by the ASEAN Foundation, brought together young creators from across Southeast Asia to be empowered and explore one shared question: what happens when purpose meets platform?
This year’s top three creators, Jhonatan (@jhonatanyuditya_pratama), Leni (@lenirezi), and Sir Pedot (@sirpedot), each championed a different mission yet equally meaningful, delivering a powerful impact on their community. Through their lenses, they show how TikTok LIVE can serve as a classroom, a cultural bridge, and a space where identity is celebrated once more.
Jhonatan: Carrying Dayak Culture into the Digital Spotlight
As the first-place winner, Jhonatan shines a spotlight on his Dayak heritage from Borneo, Kalimantan – not as a distant tradition, but as values that shape daily life. This sentiment strongly echoes East Malaysian Communities, where culture is lived and not staged.
His sincerity paid off. During his Gawai Dayak LIVE session, over 16,000 viewers tuned in to watch parades and exhibitions showcasing traditional Dayak dances while actively engaging in the comment section. He calls it a moment of collective pride, which is not only for himself, but for his community.
What makes him distinct is the way he frames culture not as an artefact, but as a lived rhythm. His viewers learn the meaning behind traditions, not just the visuals. “I want people to feel the culture, not just see it,” he said.
The programme strengthened his belief that digital platforms can help preserve heritage while empowering communities and MSMEs. “The ASEAN LIVE Creators for Change Programme has been such a powerful reminder that creativity is not just entertainment, but it’s empowerment,” he emphasised. His mission is clear: bridge Dayak culture with modern storytelling tools, while keeping authenticity at the centre.
Leni: Making Indonesia’s Local Languages Go Mainstream Again
Second-place winner Leni, began her journey with a concern – that Indonesia’s local languages were disappearing from everyday use. Findings from language institutions and UNESCO(1) pointed to a consistent drop in daily use, and some languages had already disappeared from active conversation.
Growing up in East Belitung, she wasn’t fully fluent in her own dialect, and that became her motivation. On TikTok LIVE, she focused her content on simple expressions, practical use, and cultural context that felt approachable. She often invites viewers to join through the Multi-Guest feature, turning the experience into a lively two-way exchange. These sessions naturally flow into friendly conversations where participants share idioms, jokes, and everyday phrases in their own dialects, making learning both fun and relatable. Everything ties back to one goal: keeping local languages relevant and easy to learn.
The programme added another layer to her growth. She learned how to plan content, read audience behaviour more effectively, and refine the way she communicates. Through the programme, she connected with creators from the Philippines, Myanmar, and Malaysia who face similar linguistic challenges. “I hope initiatives like this continue,” Leni said. “So more young people feel inspired to contribute to their region, their country, and to Southeast Asia.”
Sir Pedot: Making Education Digitally Accessible for Malaysians
Third-place winner, Firdaus, better known online as Sir Pedot or #YourTikTokLecturer, began content creation with a simple intention: to make knowledge more digitally accessible for students. As a lecturer, he saw gaps that traditional syllabuses often miss, such as scholarships, digital literacy, public speaking, academic preparation, and even cultural understanding across ASEAN.
He brought these conversations into TikTok LIVE with an approach that feels like a personalised mentoring session, just scaled across thousands. One quiet moment confirmed the value of what he was doing: a student messaged saying they finally understood a concept after watching his LIVE. For Firdaus, this became proof that educational content isn’t just “possible” on TikTok where it can shift confidence, direction, and opportunity.
Through the programme, he learned to structure sessions more intentionally, read audience insights, and stay consistent even when numbers fluctuate. “Going LIVE takes courage,” he said. “The training made me more focused. Now I create with clarity.”
His mission: build a generation that adapts, learns, and steps forward with resilience and confidence. Through this, he also recognises the broader impact of digital communities and cross-regional collaboration, as he mentioned in the interview, “ASEAN LIVE Creators for Change Programme provides a meaningful opportunity not only for creators, but also for audiences across Southeast Asia to access quality educational content.”
Three Creators, Three Missions — One Shared Momentum
Together, Jhonatan, Leni, and Sir Pedot show how TikTok LIVE can be a practical space for sharing knowledge, culture, and community.
“The ASEAN LIVE Creators for Change Programme perfectly embodies TikTok’s mission to inspire creativity and bring joy. We are immensely heartened to see these creators harness TikTok LIVE as a powerful and authentic space for spreading knowledge, preserving cultures, and keeping local languages alive. Digital storytelling on TikTok LIVE offers us a window to the world, and is a powerful tool to spotlight and celebrate the rich diversity of Southeast Asia,” said Chanida Klyphun, Director of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, TikTok.
The ASEAN LIVE Creators for Change Programme, initiated from October 2024 until August 2025, is an ASEAN Foundation and TikTok initiative that equipped 18 creators across Southeast Asia with mentorship, funding, and tools to host impactful TikTok LIVE sessions on ASEAN sociocultural issues and awareness.
Through the programme, participants gained practical skills; from improving technical setups to planning consistent content and understanding their audiences more deeply. These foundations help them carry their missions forward with greater confidence and impact, curating responsible digital influence and strengthening youth-led storytelling in an increasingly connected ASEAN community.
“Through our partnership with TikTok LIVE, the ASEAN Foundation continues to nurture young creators who use digital platforms for positive impact including fostering learning, inclusivity, and cultural appreciation across the region,” said Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation.
