Community Development

YUM undertakes a number of community development projects with the goal of strengthening community networks and empowering individuals to help themselves. Research shows that strong networks are essential for improving a community’s ability to work, and grow, as a group.

By promoting cooperation between members of each community in which we undertake work, and demonstrating to these communities what can be achieved when people work together, YUM aims to create a foundation for long-term stability and growth.
Importantly, these projects include community members in every facet of the project’s life. YUM believes that involving the community in the planning, implementation and ongoing management of projects, will not only result in outcomes which better meet the community needs, but will also prove to be a valuable learning process for local people.

From our experience, the skills and experience gained from the project’s implementation become a valuable project outcome in their own right.

Download Community Development Projects Fact Sheet [pdf 106KB]

The Children’s Village

Cipanas, West Java
The Children’s Village provides children from destitute families with a safe, stable and caring environment in which to live and receive an education. Located in the hills of West Java, about two hours drive from Jakarta; the Village is home to more than 50 school-aged children at any one time.

The Village is focused on providing the children with skills and values that will carry them through life. Along with formal education at local government schools, children are involved in a range of extra-curricular activities. These activities include vocational training, sports, music and language lessons.

Our Child Sponsorships & Scholarships program provides funding support for the children to live at the village. The sponsorships cover the cost of all food, clothing, medical, housing and education expenses.

The Village also aims to support the local community in which it operates. This is done through engaging local men, women and children in the Villages’ learning and activities.

The Village sponsors children who live in the region to go to school, provides vocational training to local women, trades goods and services with local vendors and regularly opens it’s facilities to the local community. This serves in not only supporting the local community but also teaches children about the importance of a strong community and how by supporting one another, goals can be achieved.

Microcredit project

Central Kalimantan
The Microcredit Project aims to assist women who operate small businesses to increase the profits of their enterprises and achieve income security. Ultimately by improving the economic situation of the women, the goal is to improve the welfare of entire families and their communities.

Many women in Central Kalimantan operate micro-enterprises, predominantly as food or clothing vendors or as farmers running small-farms. The project provides these women with small loans that are used to invest in and grow their enterprises. The women then pay back the loans as per a set plan and the re-payments are used to finance a loan for another women.

Importantly, the program also provides training on how to manage small enterprises, on budgeting and on working together for the betterment of the community. The program is predominantly self- managed by the women who receive the loans. They, with the assistance of YUM, elect new participants to the program and set the guidelines for participation. Having these women manage the program improves the sharing of ideas and resources among the community.

The project was established in 2001 by the Indonesian Relief and Development Network (which is now part of YUM) and has since that time has assisted women from throughout the region to grow their businesses. In 2007 the project was relaunched with a new format that is helping more women access loans and use them more effectively based on principles endorsed by the Grameen Foundation.

Aceh Community Centre

Banda Aceh
In 2004 a tsunami hit Banda Aceh, devastating the area and its residents. The Aceh Community Centre is the contribution YUM is making to help people in the region re-establish their lives. The Centre is primarily targeted at women and children, providing health, education and family welfare services to people from nine villages throughout the region. Those services include; family health and welfare advice; microcredit support; childcare services and creative learning activities for children.

Importantly the Centre also provides a social and community meeting point, where local community members can discuss issues and children can participate in a range of activities. Since its establishment in 2005, the centre has been an astounding success thanks to the support of The Japan National Council of Social Welfare who wholly funds the centre. With the Centre having thousands of beneficiaries since its establishment, YUM is proud of the success of this project and believes it is an excellent example of the work we can do with ongoing financial support.

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