A key part of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals is to achieve universal primary education, and the Sumba Foundation is proud to be part of this international movement to educate the children of this world.
When the foundation began in 2001, Indonesia was in the midst of intense political and economic turmoil. While many other developing nations were focused on education, the Archipelago was focused on political stability. The Sumba Foundation saw this gap, and we began establishing our education initiatives.
Indonesia does provide access to education, but in many cases the facilities are too small and are unequipped and in complete disrepair — and that’s where we come in.
We focus on school structures, libraries, and supplies. Our amazing group of volunteers, who come to Sumba on a yearly basis, get involved, too. Volunteer families have come with suitcases packed with crayons, books, and other school supplies. They have painted murals on school walls, donated sports equipment, bought new classroom furniture, and donated toward the infrastructure renewal.
The Sumba Foundation supports 22 primary schools with water, toilets, tables, and chairs. At three of these schools, existing buildings, which were deemed unsafe, were renovated and new classrooms were added to accommodate the growing youth population.
