Compassion’s holistic child development programs are designed to be adapted to suit the local context and needs. In Indonesia, our local church partners are focusing on empowering youth to pursue higher education opportunities, improving child nutrition and reducing cases of disease.
Watch the latest video update below from our church partners in Indonesia to learn more.
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Thank you for praying for the children, families and local church partners we serve in Indonesia!
In rural Munduk village in Indonesia, Tatu loves running through the rows of beautiful flowers on his parents' hydrangea farm. His older siblings also work as garden labourers and did not study beyond elementary school. At just 4 years old, Tatu’s story was set to be the same. But when Tatu was welcomed into the program at his local Compassion centre, he was given the opportunity to go to school. Read more open_in_new
Compassion’s program is contextualised across countries and communities, as well as age groups.
Compassion assisted children in Indonesia typically attend program activities at their local child development centre on Saturdays and Sundays. Here is an example of what a typical program day looks like for children in Indonesia.
8:00am - A time of prayer and devotion.
9:00am - Spiritual lessons where children sing songs and learn Bible stories. They are given complete Bibles once they enter middle school.
10:30am - Break time where children can play in a safe environment and develop friendships.
11:00am - Social-emotional lessons from conflict resolution to developing healthy self-esteem. Children often come from challenging home environments and are taught social and personal skills.
12:00pm - Lunch time where the meal usually consists of rice, meat, vegetables and fruit. Milk is provided for young children. Typical Indonesian foods that are rich with protein such as ‘Tempe’ and tofu are often provided. Children are given meals once or twice a week.
1:00pm - Health lessons where children are taught practical health and hygiene tips.
2:00pm - Letter writing and career planning. Older children work with local staff to identify their strengths and interests, setting realistic goals for their future.
Children also often have opportunities to join in extracurricular activities such as sporting activities, painting, singing, computer training and English courses. Older students receive practical skills training in areas like car repair and sewing. Every year parents are offered parenting classes.
of youth do not complete high school
of households lack access to basic sanitation services
Indonesia is a highly diverse society, with a wide mix of people and cultures influenced by Oceania, Asia, and Europe. There are hundreds of ethnic groups, and more than 600 distinct languages are spoken.
Indonesia is the fourth-most populous country in the world and its urban growth rate is enormously high. Many of Indonesia’s more than 17,000 islands are at high risk of earthquake and volcanic eruption. Hundreds of thousands of families have been displaced and severely affected by natural disasters in recent years.
Poverty and pronounced inequality persist throughout Indonesia, particularly in rural areas. In these regions, 30.8 per cent of children under 5 years of age are affected by stunting due to poor nutrition. Many rural communities lack basic infrastructure, such as internet access, roads and safe water. Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of poverty and almost one in 30 children die before reaching primary school, many from diseases resulting from poor sanitation and environmental conditions.
Our Indonesian church partners have been stepping up to address inequality in a number of ways. Churches are providing tutors to work with children in small groups and through home visits to ensure children are catching up with the education they have missed out on during COVID-19.
All child development centres are equipped with internet access and 60 per cent have dedicated computer labs for children to use. Where possible, children are able to share computers and tablets distributed by the project to enhance their education.
Compassion Indonesia has also established a link with a teaching college in Jakarta. Trainee teachers, as part of their studies, have to serve the local community. Compassion has linked a number of these university students with church partners to run virtual classes and mentor other Compassion assisted children. They have focused on subjects such as maths and science, and the children’s academic performance has improved as a result.
To break generational cycles of poverty, access to a diverse range of education and training opportunities are essential. Compassion's analysis of our program's effectiveness in Indonesia has shown that income-generation skills are key drivers of long-term economic self-sufficiency. That's why our local church partners are passionate about providing agency for youth to choose their own career path and have a variety of options for employment after school.
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