A team of workers from Indonesian charity Yayasan Pendar Pagi partner with SEEDs members to run a community centre in one of the most densely populated areas of Jakarta. Regular programs include various educational and recreational activities for children, a savings group for people living informally by the railway, and a medical advice service.

Recently the team held a highly successful community day, drawing in a wider group of people than the regular programs currently reach. There was a cooking competition for the men, watched by a whole crowd enthusiastically waiting for the judges to give their verdict on which ‘nasi goreng’ (fried rice) was the best. There was both a quiz and a colouring competition for the children, an information-sharing session for pregnant women, and a community rubbish pick-up specifically involving the children who attend the centre’s programs.

One team member made a wonderful display showcasing the charities’ spheres of activity, and overall aims. An additional highlight was the involvement of a group of new volunteers who have shown interest in the charity over the last few months. The team has put some thought into how to develop a good volunteer program, and some initial training to a specific group has already been given. Some of these volunteers will now become regular contributors to the programs running in the community centre.

This community day reflected SEEDS’ desire to work for change and to inspire others to work for change in the poor communities where we work across South East Asia. An overview of SEEDS’ work with Yayasan Pendar Pagi in Jakarta is available at https://seedssg.com/work/community-dev/urban-poor/