In 1989, Claude and Petra Graves moved to the remote island of Sumba, Indonesia, embarking on a transformative journey that would span decades. Their goal was to create Nihiwatu, a luxury eco-friendly resort deeply connected to the local community and culture. Over time, they worked tirelessly to build the resort, collaborating with local villagers and preserving the island’s natural beauty while establishing Nihiwatu as a world-renowned destination.

During the early years of developing Nihiwatu (1988 to 1994), they lived much like the villagers around them. They had no access to running water, electricity, or nearby clinics for medical care. Both of them contracted malaria dozens of times, experiencing firsthand the debilitating effects of the disease, which deepened their understanding of the hardships faced by the local community.

It took years for Claude and Petra to be accepted into the communities of the nearby villages. Their dedication to understanding and respecting the local customs, culture, and way of life eventually earned them the trust and friendship of the island’s inhabitants, allowing them to integrate more deeply into the community.

Nihiwatu opens. Years before opening the resort, Claude and Petra committed themselves to addressing the core issues their neighbors faced: lack of access to clean water, poor health, wide-spread malaria, malnutrition, the absence of health facilities within a day’s walk, and limited education. They envisioned Nihiwatu not just as a luxury resort, but as a vehicle to fulfill the needs of the surrounding community. To begin, Claude and Petra engaged their guests, encouraging them to participate in efforts to improve the lives of the local villagers, creating a bridge between tourism and meaningful social impact.

In 2001, Claude and Petra met Sean Downs, then a guest at Nihiwatu. After reading Claude’s 20-year Sumba Foundation business plan, which detailed various projects, their timelines, and associated costs, Sean offered his assistance. Shortly afterward, the Sumba Foundation was established as a private, non-profit, non-governmental organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The first of many water projects started that year at Gallowatu Village. The foundation’s mission was clear: to alleviate the burdens of poverty that the Sumbanese communities were enduring.

This was the year that Dr. Claus Bogh joined the Sumba Foundation and launched its Malaria Control Project, which began saving the lives of young children almost immediately. Now, 21 years later, the project has saved hundreds of lives and successfully reduced malaria infections by 94% in the initial areas where it was implemented.

Rainy Octora joined the team and implemented the Sumba Foundation’s first Malnutrition Program. Initially, the focus was on saving the lives of severely malnourished infants. However, as the massive scale of the problem became clear, the program expanded to include school lunches, ultimately providing over 1,832,292 meals to children in need.

In November 2017, the Sumba Foundation launched its first English language class for 40 primary school children aiming to equip them with essential language skills for future job opportunities, particularly in the growing tourism industry. These classes are designed to give students a competitive edge as they enter the workforce. Since then we have expanded this program significantly. We now have a team of 16 dedicated English teachers conducting 188 classes per week in the mornings at government schools, and 14 classes a week at our after-school programs. 

Over the years this team has taught English to 19,026 students at 39 local government elementary and high schools, and to 4,800 students who have attended our after-school classes we have at our three Learning Centers and at 11 remote villages. Add to that we have been providing computer classes at our three Learning Centers and at four other remote locations, equipping children with fundamental computer skills that enhance their educational and career opportunities. 

Since 2019, more than 881 children have participated in these classes.

The Learning Center at Hobawawi has officially opened. Constructed from bamboo, the building incorporates all elements of our existing education programs, including after-school English and computer classes, health and hygiene education, and a library. Since its opening, the Learning Center has become a hub for learning development, with hundreds of children of all ages coming in every day.

During the COVID years, our five clinics remained operational, continuing to serve the communities despite the challenges. However, many families faced severe hardships. In response, the Sumba Foundation provided emergency food aid to 1,560 families, delivering over 675,000 meals over eight months. A total of 6,200 food packets were distributed, including 156 tons of rice, 8 tons of dried fish, thousands of eggs, and hundreds of cases of noodles, milk, and cooking oil. Additionally, 115 malnourished children received direct food support for the year, and 38 university students were given scholarship assistance to help them stay in school.

We opened our first Sports Project at Hobawawi, with four Pickle Ball courts, a Badminton court, a Volleyball court and a Futsal Field, all with lights so playing can continue after the sun sets. Needless to say, this was an instant hit with the local kids. We added Boxing Classes in 2023, forming our own Sumba Foundation Boxing Club, and the team is now competing in Regional Boxing Contests. At the end of 2024, we added an additional grass Futsal Court to our facility. 

This year, we began expanding into a poverty-stricken area in the north of the island, where we have now established two Malaria Clinics in Karang Indah and Bulir. 

These clinics are staffed by seven nurses and two doctors. By August, the clinics were treating 1,727 patients per month, and those numbers have doubled during the rainy seasons. We also hired a new team of four teachers and launched our English classes, reaching 1,066 children across four government schools in the mornings. In the afternoons, the teachers instruct 268 children in four remote villages. In September, we introduced our School Lunch project at the government schools, ensuring that all children receive a proper meal—often the only one they will have during the day. We plan to continue expanding our efforts in the coming years. To accommodate this, we will be building additional housing to employ more staff to serve the remote areas of Sumba where destitute communities need our help.