After several years working in health promotion with disadvantaged communities in Australia, I felt I wanted to contribute with similar work overseas. Through the AusAid Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) Program, I accepted a 12-month role as a Community Health Education Officer with YUM in Central Kalimantan, Borneo. And that is how my amazing Indonesian adventure began…
When I first arrived in Central Kalimantan, after a whirlwind few weeks of exploring frantic Jakarta and stumbling my way through Indonesian language training in Jogyakarta, I felt an immediate sense of calm. The drive to Tangkiling (the village where I am posted) was completely surreal and amazingly beautiful – there were banana palms nestled amongst a sea of green, tiny rumah makan-s (restaurants) on the side of road serving nasi goreng and fruit juices, motorbikes whizzing past with entire families on board, and women waiting patiently by their petrol stands for their next customer.
The staff at YUM made me feel extremely welcome, even holding a Buka Puasa (breaking fast during the month of Ramadan) celebration for me on my first day. Despite language barriers between us, we always manage to communicate using a mixture of hand gestures, a computer translation program and lots of laughter! The staff are now my Indonesian family – always popping in to bring me gifts, inviting me to their homes and helping me find my way around.
During the challenging times, including a significant personal issue, my YUM family have offered me support, love and prayers. I have also had many opportunities to explore my new home, including boat rides along the picturesque river villages, getting up close and personal with some orangutans and attending traditional Ramadan events.
So far, my work with YUM has been extremely fascinating, sometimes challenging and incredibly heart-warming. We are working with 6 villages in the sub-district of Bukit Batu to support them in improving their health and wellbeing. The work is undertaken in partnership with the Puskesmas (Community Health Centre) and Posyandus (Maternal and Child Health Centres). At times, the health needs of the local communities have really overwhelmed me. Many families are living below the poverty line and there are high rates of infectious disease, child malnourishment as well as inadequate sanitation and hygiene. There is an abundance of health promotion work to be undertaken to aid in reducing these inequalities and I am really excited to be part of that.
YUM has a wonderful reputation in the sub-district and can be credited for leading the way in almost completely eradicating Malaria in the area. The YUM office and children’s library always has its doors open for local people and its programs are well-known and respected. As part of the Education program, I have been given the honor of teaching English to a hilarious bunch of children every Monday afternoon. I have embraced my new Indonesian lifestyle, especially the slower pace, delicious food, amazing landscape and beautiful people. I know that my contribution will only represent a drop in the ocean, but I am really proud to have spent my little time working for such a wonderful organization.
Contributed by: Kate Hills, ex-AYAD volunteer for the Health Promotional Program in Kalimantan
2011 saw the implementation of two new exciting health programs in six villages in the Bukit Batu sub-district: sanitation education in schools and Posyandu (village health post) and milk distribution for malnourished children.
The health education program in sanitation was held in two parts: education for mothers and young children in Posyandu and education for children in primary schools. In the Posyandu setting, local village cadres provide education to the attendees on a wide range of topics, including sanitation. In December and January, practical hand-washing demonstrations were conducted in all 16 Posyandu in the area. The school sessions are implemented in conjunction with staff from the Tangkiling Puskesmas (community health center) and include practical hand-washing demonstrations, a short film about the hazards associated with poor sanitary practices and a presentation. The sessions are always a success because the Puskesmas staffs, led by Dr. Probo (the only doctor for 13,000 inhabitants), deliver a short play on the harmful effects of not washing your hands properly. The children love it and are always laughing loudly. These health education programs were delivered in such a relaxed way that the children felt very comfortable in admitting that they do not always wash their hands before they eat. Eleven elementary schools have welcomed these educational sessions between July and December 2011.
The Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap (PPPHW) state that hand-washing with soap is the single most cost-effective measure to reducing illness and disease in communities; in fact, much of the illnesses experienced by communities could be reduced if hand-washing with soap was a common practice, particularly before preparing meals, eating and after using the toilet and handling animals.
Similarly, YUM conducted community education about appropriate and adequate nutrition for young children. In Central Kalimantan, 46% of children under 5 years of age suffer from moderate to severe stunting, meaning that they are short in stature for their age. This is, in part, due to inadequate nutrition for extended periods of time as the children have not had adequate nutrition to allow for proper growth. This health project, funded generously by Sucofindo, allows for identification of children aged 6-59 months who are malnourished and provides them with milk supplements each month. Implemented in 15 of the 16 Posyandu visited by YUM, it is hoped that provision of these supplements will encourage the children and their parents to attend Posyandu regularly for growth and development monitoring. YUM staff have also taken this opportunity to educate parents about health dietary practices for their children.
With fantastic results so far for both projects, YUM is determined to keep moving and find further funding to continue the programs in other villages.
Ashleigh Buckland (AusAid volunteer, Bukit Batu, Central Kalimantan, December, 2011
