Indonesia, a sovereign state in Southeast Asia and Oceania, lies at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Over 17,000 islands comprise this archipelago, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and portions of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is famous for its beautiful tropical shorelines, forcing volcanoes, and culturally rich historical and religious sites.
Among the Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia has witnessed the fastest growth in the gap between the richest and the rest in the past two decades. It ranks sixth on the countries with the most significant wealth inequality list. Indonesia’s four wealthiest men have more wealth than its poorest 100 million combined.
In Indonesia, inequality stifles economic growth, threatens social cohesion, and undermines the fight against poverty.
What does this mean for the average person? Insecurity at work and low wages plague the poorest citizens, especially women. Infrastructure, such as electricity or decent roads, is less available in rural areas than urban areas. Most of the land is owned by large corporations and wealthy individuals who benefit from it all. The education system is underfunded, and barriers to equal access prevent many Indonesian workers from accessing higher-skilled and higher-paying jobs.
Global Village is heading to Yogyakarta (often called “Jogja”) on the island of Java, known for its traditional arts and cultural heritage. In Tuksono Village, Kulon Progo district, almost half the population live in poverty in inappropriate or indecent houses, with several generations living under the same leaking roof on dirt floors, who face a lack of clean water in the dry season. Tuksono has also become a village with the highest number of ‘stunting’ families in the Sentolo sub-district. Stunting is defined as low height-for-age, resulting from chronic or recurrent undernutrition, and prevents children from reaching their physical and cognitive potential.
Through the Global Village program, volunteers help the Tuksono village community become more prosperous by providing a safe, healthy and decent place to live. Global Village volunteers will assist selected families in building a new permanent house with private bedrooms and toilets. Typical volunteer tasks include digging and setting the foundation, bending and wiring rebars, mixing cement or concrete, laying bricks, and building walls. You will build far more than just a safe, comfortable and secure shelter; you will create hope, communities and futures.
Through shelter, we empower.
