Tracking, Training, Treatment, Transportation, and Trust. These are the five elements of a cooperative program between the Jembatan TCB Kampar tuberculosis (TB) initiative and members of Indonesian village communities, local government, and private health facilities. The first four “T” words can be quantified, but how does one measure Trust?

One way is to gauge the strength of collaboration with local officials. Mr. Abizar, who leads Jembatan TBC Kampar, has been honored by authorities in Kampar District and its villages of Durian Tandang and Teluk Kenidai to speak about tuberculosis testing and medicine, teamwork to curb TB transmission through contact tracing, and tuberculosis education. The Department of Health in Kampar also hosted Mr. Abizar and a SEEDS consultant in a televised talk show, to discuss public-private partnerships in the national effort to stop TB.

When invited to speak at the Teluk Kenidai Village Head’s office, Abizar told a team of local healthcare volunteers that their partnership with government health workers is indispensable. He emphasized the same on Riau Televisi network, saying it is through cooperation between government and private entities that Indonesia progresses toward its target to eliminate tuberculosis. Jembatan Kampar Sehat has facilitated tuberculosis testing for community members with suspected symptoms, with the participation of SEEDS consultants. It has identified hidden cases of active tuberculosis in Kampar and the neighboring city of Pekanbaru. It has assisted treatment of tuberculosis patients who are currently receiving their 6-to-9-month courses of medication. So far, Jembatan TBC Kampar has recorded dozens of full recoveries from TB.

The word Jembatan means bridge. The original inspiration was a new suspension bridge to Teluk Kenidai, and the initiative’s purpose is similar—to cross a divide. With SEEDS, Jembatan TBC Kampar bridges the gap between community members and the tuberculosis care they need.

A new village warmly opened its doors to our foundation, allowing us to hold English activities for the local children. With the help of village volunteers and a few foreign volunteers, we spent time preparing the space and planning the program. There was excitement in the air as we got ready to welcome the kids.On the day of the event, thirty children showed up with curious eyes and hopeful smiles. Many of them had lost their fathers, and some were completely orphaned, now living with relatives. It was clear that this wasn’t just another activity for them—this was something special.The program started with a warm welcome from the village volunteers. Then we moved into ice breakers and introductions. At first, the children were shy and quiet. But once we started singing, something shifted. They joined in little by little, and before long, the room was filled with their voices and laughter. The smiles on their faces said everything.One of the highlights was spelling the word “LOVE” through song and action. From using just their fingers to stretching out their arms wide, the children expressed love in a way that was both simple and sweet. It was beautiful to watch.As their confidence grew, more kids began volunteering for games and activities. We later gathered in a circle to share a short story of hope and encouragement. The children listened closely, soaking in every word.Before heading home, each child received a food pack—which they enjoyed right away! As they left, many of them said thank you with big smiles on their faces. It was a small but meaningful day, and we were truly happy to see them laughing, learning, and feeling loved.

Many university students want to learn English not only to meet foreigners but also to study abroad one day and continue their postgraduate studies. One of the main universities in the city and the entire province of West Sumatra is the University in Padang where the Faculty of Humanities has the Department of English for university students.
During this time as an English consultant, I have been able to help undergraduate students develop their speaking and listening skills to be used in daily life conversation and practicing for IELTS. This is to enable the students to build trust and self-confidence in speaking to their peers and also to foreigners directly. It has been amazing to see their enthusiasm and improvements in a short time. This not only opens doors for the future but also helps them to be brave when encountering new experiences. 

Another activity- which is part of the English Department- was to visit a senior high school with the purpose of motivating them and showing them the importance of English in and out of the country. This has been a unique experience and opportunity for the students to connect directly with a foreign person which brings a different perspective to just simply learning a new language.

At the end of November 2024, it rained so heavily in the southernmost provinces of Thailand that it flooded like never before. Some elderly people said that they haven’t experienced such a severe flood in their life-time. Streets and houses that usually don’t get flooded, were flooded this year. Many streets were flooded, so people could only wade through water to shops. I called some local people to find out information about the areas of need. Two Malay friends-who like helping others-passed on information about some villages that were needy. Some people asked them for meals. These two friends organised in their villages for cooked meals to be given out twice so people had something to eat. People received more help in the town, than in some remote areas. Restaurants, groups of local people and the government helped to give out meals first and later also food packages.

Our foundation received donations for flood relief from abroad and within Thailand. Foundation volunteers bought food items for 300 food packages and packed them with the help of local people. The two Malay friends took us to needy families, e.g. with a bed-ridden patient, who we gave food packages to. In some places we needed to walk through water and in one village, we were taken around by boat as the water was so high. It was quite adventurous and a good bonding time with local people. They appreciated the help given to them. It was sobering to see an area where the water went up to 2.5 metres, i.e. the first floor of the houses was completely flooded. A lot of the furniture got damaged and some people are still busy now cleaning up their houses. Thankfully, the houses of foundation volunteers and the foundation office weren’t flooded, so we could focus on helping others. We were glad that we could come alongside local people and give some help and hope in this time of need.

“Kahla” has been coming to the children’s reading and play group for several years. Initially, she was very shy and would rarely talk to anyone. Now that she is starting school, her mother is working on teaching her to read. However, they cannot afford to buy books for her. Kahla’s mother is very appreciative to be able to come to the Window to the World Library and borrow books to help Kahla learn. So far, Kahla is only interested in story books with pictures. As she matures, she will be able to access books of various types and levels that she can borrow to read on her own. This will help to stir her interesting in reading.

The internet age that we live in has many advantages. However, many children (and adults) spend much of their time staring at screens. Through educational games and puzzles at the library, people can increase their hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, and imagination. Potential engineers can experience building something with their hands.    

When SEEDS met Mrs. Yakeen in 2013, she was blind. Severe cataracts obstructed both eyes, but she was fearful of the surgery needed to restore vision. SEEDS partnered with a local foundation in Riau, Indonesia, and sent health workers to Mrs. Yakeen’s isolated village. For months, they encouraged her to give the healthcare system a chance, and she agreed to treatment for her left eye. It was a success. Mrs. Yakeen proudly declared to neighbors that she could see, and others followed her example. Several villagers sought cataract surgery and enjoyed new sight.

Mrs. Yakeen planned for the other eye surgery, but then developed active tuberculosis. Her struggle with the terrible disease lasted years, and she nearly lost her life. Mrs. Yakeen’s TB battle begins in the November 2023 edition of SEEDS News. Side effects from the tuberculosis medication and mistrust for modern healthcare caused her to stop treatment numerous times. SEEDS workers persisted in visiting her home through the years, gently encouraging her to take her medication. Finally, in July 2024, doctors declared Mrs. Yakeen TB-free! She was cured—but had unfinished business. In August, ten years after her left eye, Mrs. Yakeen’s right eye was healed. She has vision in both eyes.

The SEEDS vision is long-ranging. As long as it takes to strengthen and empower Southeast Asian communities through improved health, safety, education, and economic development, SEEDS will be there.

Education is Iterative

SEEDS partners with Yayasan Tunas Aksara (YTA) to promote literacy in Indonesia.  YTA operates a program called “Saya Suka Membaca” (SSM), meaning “I Like to Read”.  SSM was originally conceived as a teacher training program.  SSM staff designed and distributed their own contextualized curriculum, auxiliary materials, training, and mentoring, to elementary grade-1 teachers so that they could teach reading well throughout their teaching tenure.  Their goals for students were simple: (a) read fluently  (b) understand what was read  (c) enjoy reading.   

The SSM staff have continued to improve their practices according to the needs or challenges they encountered in the field, as good educators do. They streamlined processes, added new positions, made more books, corrected old ones, etc. In other words, YTA has reiterated SSM repeatedly since its inception.  YTA has built a spiral staircase, if you will.  Yet the big question is whether that spiral staircase performs as intended-Is SSM effective?  

The SSM team has worked hard to answer that question.  They developed a test to collect pre- and post-treatment data.  They are currently proposing to conduct a two-year research project that will examine: (a) quantitative baseline/endline data from all current participating schools (hopefully compared against equivalent non-treatment schools in similar districts); (b) qualitative data from SSM participants to better understand what underlies the quantitative data.  That data will be used to inform the next iteration of SSM. The desire to reiterate does not come from a vacuum.  The Indonesian government has recently prioritized 21^st century skills for its future workforce.  SSM plans to change with the times so that the next generation of Indonesian youth can (a) read fluently; (b) understand what was read; (c) enjoy reading; and (d) enter the working world with related 21^st century skills.  Here’s to climbing the spiral staircase

The Integrated Farming (IF) program is an initiative that is transforming the lives of marginalized communities in Riau, Indonesia. This farming program aims to implement a sustainable farming method focused on breeding ikan gabus (snakehead fish). The snakehead fish was chosen for its marketability. There is a significant public demand due to the health benefits, market price, and the fact that you can even breed it with limited space.  Communities can utilize their land for planting a variety of vegetables, including chilies, tomatoes, and other produce. The water from the fishponds is useful as fertilizer and as water for the plants.

The Integrated Farming Project does not only improve the communities’ economy; but it is also a platform for empowerment.  The communities that have partnered with Yayasan Pendar Pagi are trained and coached to set up the same farming concept to develop their surrounding land in marginalized communities. The goal is not just to assist several families but also to help communities grow their own sustainable farms.

This program is an effective way to help the communities reach their full potential. Through this program, farmers are encouraged to recognize their own potential and enable them to make the most of their available resources. They are encouraged to gather regularly to share and learn from each other as they engage in running their farming program. They are also encouraged to actively participate in finding solutions when facing problems in the implementation process. This empowerment program is all about helping the community become independent and become agents of change for the marginalized communities in Riau.

Within the last year, one SEEDS consultant in south Thailand has made the change from community development projects to educational involvement within a local university. This is a new development and many details are yet to be confirmed, but the goal of educational development through the new role at the local university is the main focus. So far it has been achieved through English language instruction for undergraduate students, which will be extended to postgraduate students and staff later. Another way to be involved in education is by collaborating with research projects and seminars within the university. This will be focused on various issues (including social, cultural, and educational issues) and will bring together local researchers, as well as lecturers and staff from the university. It is hoped that such initiatives will help benefit understanding and education levels throughout the university and beyond.