Following three years of investment into Psychology lecturers’ English language ability and methodology of delivering their subjects in English, the time came to move on and partner with other faculties at the State Islamic University of Sultan Syarif Kassim in Riau, Indonesia. This decision was made in light of local lecturers becoming increasingly familiar and confident with using English as the medium of instruction for their classes, and also a number of program participants successfully applying for further study abroad.

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One of the biggest challenges facing fishing communities is uncertainty. They live at the mercy of storms, stocks and prices. When the fish are close inshore and the weather is fair there is good money to be made until the market gets flooded. When the storms come, prices rise but boats can’t go out to sea and it is fishermen’s houses that get flooded. Wildly fluctuating income makes saving difficult and can lead to a debt cycle that local people call “digging a hole- filling a hole”.

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Expanding our work in a new community characterized by urban poverty, we offered a teacher assistance program to two local kindergartens. Over the course of 3 months, we conducted workshops on teaching theories, human growth, class management and special needs with teachers who are dedicated to improving the welfare of young children affected by insufficient economic provision, poor nutrition, and lack of parental support.

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A new partnership has recently started between SEEDS and a university in Sumatra, Indonesia. A SEEDS consultant has started teaching in three different departments on two campuses and is investing in future teachers and other students.

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In our increasingly digitized world we find ourselves enjoying “smart” technologies in our daily lives: smart watches monitoring our health, smart homes increasing our personal comfort and smart cities mitigating traffic jams, not to mention the hope that one day driverless cars will provide more safety and convenience on the roads. Not only are we seeing ‘smart technology’ for personal use but we also now have what we call ‘smart factories’.

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It’s hard to overestimate the positive impact of sports on young people. Sport impacts youth cognitively, emotionally, socially, and physically. Through participation on a safe and healthy team, youth learn life skills and develop character traits that will assist them when dealing with challenging seasons of life in an urban environment. Over many months, team members also grow in decision-making skills, goal setting, self-confidence, and leadership.

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Mrs. Sira has had 14 children. Over the years, Bethany and other SEEDS workers have treated them for fevers, intestinal diseases, broken bones, and other emergencies. It is difficult for the Sira family to feed so many on the small income common to sand dredging villages, so the healthcare program also provides aid in nutrition. Mrs. Sira was reluctant to seek any care at first, but gradually gained confidence in the team as SEEDS workers built trusting relationships with the parents and children.

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Since Independence Day (17th August 2018), Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia, has had Asian Games fever. All across the capital, banners and posters of support, and wishes for success decorated gateways, storefronts, and city walls. Even roads were adorned with street art.

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Understanding the culture that we are serving is crucial to know how to apply solutions that will be embraced by local communities rather than rejected because of a foreign approach to real life problems.

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