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Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta, announced that it will reinstate wide-scale social restrictions as a second wave of infections threatens to overwhelm its health system. Indonesia has officially reported more than 8000 deaths from COVID-19, the highest death toll in Southeast Asia.
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Thank you for praying for children and families in Indonesia who have been impacted by COVID-19—and the local staff and churches who continue to serve them in difficult circumstances.
Since he was a young boy, Toni had one dream: to be an entrepreneur with his own chicken farm. He never imagined he would achieve his dream at 19 years old amidst a global pandemic. As COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on Indonesia’s economy, daily workers like Toni’s parents have been among the hardest hit. Read more open_in_new
The situation
There is no more flooding in Melawi and life is back to normal.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 34
New information
All affected families are back in their homes and healthy. The local church supported them with food and medicine.
Prayer
Thank you for praying for the affected children, families and church partner staff.
The situation
Heavy rain started on 12 September and led to flooding by the next day. The water level of the Melawi River rose, and homes and roads were flooded. Access to the city is currently cut off due to the flooded roads. The local government and disaster agency set up a shelter and public kitchen.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: unknown
New information
Local church partner ID0636 is located in the flooded area. They are assessing impact and providing support, as needed including food, blankets, clothes and medicine. Some affected families are in their homes, while others are temporarily living with relatives.
Prayer
Please pray for the safety and provision of affected children, families and church partner staff.
The situation
There is no more flooding in the Luwu area.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 14
New information
Local churches provided basic items and food for the affected families. They are now able to do all their daily activities.
Prayer
Thank you for your prayers for the affected children and their families.
The situation
Heavy rainfall caused the Saluampak River in Mari-Mari Village, South Subang, North Luwu to overflow, which caused hundreds of homes to be flooded.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: unknown Number of Compassion assisted children affected: unknown
New information
The staff of ID0857 are assessing impact to children and their families.
Prayer
Please pray for the safety and provision of affected children and their families in this area.
Please note: Due to the current pandemic, most child development centres in Indonesia are temporarily closed. Our local church partners continue to meet the urgent needs of the children through home-based care.
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 people live below the poverty line
mothers die from pregnancy related causes per 100,000 births
of people lack access to improved sanitation
Indonesia is the fourth-most populous country in the world, and its urban growth rate is enormously high. Infrastructure and resources are under constant pressure, with the conservation of Indonesia’s forests and peat lands a particular struggle.
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. Unfortunately, the number of children living on the streets has dramatically increased as a result, and many of these children suffer abuse through exploitation and child trafficking.
While poverty and low living standards persist throughout Indonesia, particularly in rural areas, there has been progress in the past decade.
Indonesia elected the Governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, as President in 2014 after decades of military and autocratic rule. Mr Widodo, a former furniture maker known as an advocate for the poor, ran on a platform of reform, promising to eliminate corruption and modernise the nation.
Despite its growth as an emerging economy, Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most unequal nation, with its population’s richest one per cent controlling 49.3 per cent of its total wealth. President Widodo announced a new focus on addressing economic inequality in 2017, and the outcomes of that shift will be hugely important for the millions of Indonesians who still live in poverty.
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