60 million girls in Indonesia
We have arrived at our last stop on the Asian continent in the province of Nusa Tenggara Barat, one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia. For this project, we partnered with Handicap International (now Humanity & Inclusion) to help improve access to education for children with disabilities. These children are too frequently marginalized and their potential and talent go unnoticed, and girls with disabilities are further stigmatized because of their gender. The project’s objectives included identifying and registering the children with disabilities, promoting community awareness on their rights, and creating support groups. This project enabled 398 disabled children, including 200 girls, to access school and stay in an environment that facilitated their academic success.
Welcome to Indonesia!
Children in Indonesia
- Indonesia has the fourth largest child population in the world: approximately 80 million.
- The nation they inhabit is a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, extending 5,150 kilometres from east to west.
- Some children live in large cities such as Jakarta, where issues of urban poverty and pollution are major challenges; others live in remote villages where access to basic services can be a daily struggle.
- Though there have been great advances in reducing poverty, children in rural areas are being left behind as the nation progresses. Children and young people living in poverty still suffer far more, often from life-threatening conditions, than the population as a whole.
Are you ready for a hike?
- Lombok Island, in Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) where our project was situated, offers a hike of 3 to 4 days up Mount Rinjani, Indonesia’s second-tallest volcano. The climb up the volcano that stands 3,726 metres above sea level is challenging but hikers are rewarded by the magnificent views of Segara Anak, the crater lake formed during the explosive volcanic eruption of Mount Samalas in Indonesia.
- A visit to Borobudur Temple Compounds – three Buddhist temples in central Java – are definitely worth a trip. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the three temples, built in the 8th and 9th centuries CE, are very impressive and certainly worth a trip.
Borobudur Temple Compounds
© UNESCO Author: Giovanni Boccardi