Community Development in East Java

Indonesia has followed suit with the rest of the world and has shut down all non-essential business and travel. Both of our drop-in centers will be closed in compliance with the government’s mandate. While this will protect our staff, it will not protect the community. The neighborhood is a very “stacked-up” population. If one person gets sick, it is likely to spread very quickly. At that, many of the women we serve are undiagnosed HIV positive. Our experience is that when someone gets sick, the results can be devastating. It has us asking God - and asking everyone else to ask God - to protect these precious women and children during this fragile time.

With COVID-19 safety precautions in place, the fragile economy of the cemetery community is beginning to suffer. Motorbike taxi service, grave maintenance, and other respectable opportunities for income have decreased by 50 percent. Daily necessities are becoming a struggle for some families to afford. Within the Yellow Flower Community, there are four districts with an estimated 130 families per district totaling over 520 families. We are estimating 77% of families per district are in desperate need of food and basic necessities. 

CF is engaging a temporary food program to secure food for families during this ongoing crisis. All food distribution will be case-managed and temporary with a secondary focus toward economic opportunity as restrictions are lifted. All community development staff members will be assigned to this project for the duration of this crisis as well as assigned assistance from other operations. 

Even amidst this difficult time, we are celebrating the incredible milestones of children who have fought hard for a different life trajectory than they have known - two young women are graduating vocational high school and enrolling in university. They have yet to bump up against the boundaries of their potential and we are beyond proud of them. 

Thank you for your continued support as Compassion First staff help families navigate this difficult season and keep children safe from exploitation by mitigating food insecurity. We are sincerely grateful.