Indonesia
- Population:
- 240.3 million
- Capital city:
- Jakarta
- GDP per capita:
- US$3,712
- HDI ranking:
- 111 of 182 countries
- Life expectancy:
- 70 years
Indonesia is a archipelago consisting of more than 17,00 islands. It is a very complex and diverse developing country in terms of geographic, ethnic, social and cultural conditions. Its population is the fourth largest in thw world, with a population of 224 million. The island of Java represents seven per cent of the territory of Indonesia two-thirds of the total population.
The three characteristics of poverty in Indonesia are:
High vulnerability – many households are clustered around the national income poverty line of about US$1.55 a day, making many of the 'non-poor' vulnerable to poverty.
Non-income related poverty – many people who may not be 'income poor' still lack access to basic services and have poor human development outcomes. Access to safe water is low, and access to sanitation is a crucial problem.
Huge regional differences – there are big differences between the different islands and regions due to the vast size and varying conditions in the Indonesian archipelago.
The VSO Indonesia programme is focused on the regions of South Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and volunteers are working in the areas of secure livelihoods and disability. Currently, we are exploring if we can work in the area of HIV and AIDS.
Secure livelihoods
Secure livelihoods activity supports the income earning potential of the poor and those living in rural areas. Natural resources are the single biggest contributor to the Indonesian economy, but over exploitation and poor management policies and practices have led to rapid depletion. It is the rural poor who have lost most from this destruction, because they are usually dependent upon natural resources for their livelihood. Although civil society agencies try to encourage more appropriate agricultural and fishing practices, efforts need to be made to ensure proper marketing of the products, and to give poor rural people access to decision making procedures at the local government level.
Volunteers who are natural resource, agriculture or marketing specialists and management advisers are working with these agencies to strengthen the strategies and systems for managing resources, raise awareness of, and training local communities in, more sustainable natural resource practices and strengthen participation in decision-making bodies.
Disability
There are more than eight million people with disabilities in Indonesia, but current government policy regarding disability is very limited and tends to ignore or actively discriminate against people with disabilities. There is a lack of awareness among the general population of what disability is and misunderstandings of the causes of disability.
Strong cultural and religious beliefs and myths still dominate and disability is seen as a curse or a punishment for previously committed sin. People with disabilities are rarely visible in society since they often live in isolation, being hidden by their family in shame at home or in institutions. They are frequently denied access to basic human rights such as the right to education, healthcare and to earn a living.
VSO is working on the issue of economic empowerment, supporting people with disabilities to find formal or informal employment so they can become independent members of society. Volunteers are working with community-based groups. vocational centres, small business and other places where income is generated Volunteer placements include management advisers, advocacy professionals, vocational skills trainers as well as rehabilitation and therapy workers.
Downloads
- Indonesia – Disability (28KB)
- Indonesia – Health (38KB)
- Indonesia – Secure livelihoods (12KB)
