SOS Social Centres in Indonesia

In Indonesia there are currently 8 Social Centres for children and the local community, examples of which are Meulaboh and Lembang.  Many SOS Social Centres operate via Family Strengthening Programmes, which aim to support the wider community.  Below is some information about some of the Social Centres that SOS Children runs in Indonesia:

SOS Social Centres around Indonesia: In-Depth

Meulaboh

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

The SOS Social Centre offers family strengthening, health counselling, community support, counselling and psychological support. The programmes are designed to ensure that children have access to essential services, such as education, health services and psycho-social support. Families are assisted with income generation. They also receive help when dealing with the authorities. People's parental skills and awareness of children's rights are improved.

Work and Achievements:

FSP SOS Village Meulaboh targeted 200 children to be assisted over the year 2009. Numbers of children who joined were 77 children, consisted of 47 boys and 30 girls from altogether 88 families. Numbers of children who received indirect benefit were 62 children, consisted of 28 boys and 34 girls, so total numbers of children receiving direct and indirect helps were 139 children.

In the year 2009 FSP Team activated again the Posyandu (Mother and Baby Health Centres) which were non-functional. With the assistance of an organization called IOM and also West Aceh Health Department, in the year 2009 there were 2 teams running 2 ‘Mother and Baby’ Health Centres (called Posyandu Boh Hate and Posyandu Suci). By the end of year 2009, those “Mother and Baby” Health Centres had been functioned for 6 months. Each month, they organized a Posyandu Day with the supports from PMT and from SOS Village Meulaboh. Posyandu Day also involved Meurebu Community Health Centre to be active every month. Posyandu Cadre Team was able to advocate the request of the materials for building a hanging measuring scale to the Tzu Chi Foundation (a foundation which builds the complex).

The society especially children had known SOS Village Meulaboh through the activities such as the short term of school of Koranic studies for children and young people. The activities were divided into 2 parts. Then there was a gathering activity which was held with the cooperation of TPA al-Mawaddah (TPA Village) and SMP 6 Mereubo (a Junior High School located in the complex). In fact when the children met the FSP team, they often asked the FSP team to hold similar activities again.

FSP Team also advocated 7 children below five years of age and diagnosed with mal-nutritional problem to gain nutrition aids from Meurebo Community Health Centre.

Medan

Work and Achievements:

There are 807 Children of 381 families benefit through Family Strengthening Program at Medan, spread from 4 villages located surrounding the SOS CV Medan.

Various services have been delivered to support the healthy development of children beneficiaries, including; educational support such as monthly school fees, book and tuition fees; additional food for toddlers; children talent development activities; family visits by a field coordinator as part of family conferences; supporting income generating; providing facilities for a children centre and accessing legal community activities to local government.

Lembang

Work and Achievements:

Until December 2009 Family Strengthening Program-Lembang had served 503 children, consisted of 144 boys and 259 girls. Children below 5 years old got special care through the health facilities and services in 40 Posyandu (Mother & Baby Health Centre). Over the year 2009, there were 3.400 children below 5 years old who were served at the Health Centres.

In Educational Field, helps were given to children in the forms of school supplies, such as school fees and books. Children were also given the opportunities to have their activities at Bale Belajar Anak (Children Studying Centre). The activities were varied such as computer courses, English courses, Library, Wall magazines, and Crafts classes where children learned to make wooden wall clocks, paper bags from used papers, and key holders. There was also a Children Koran Reading course for Moslem children who wanted to learn to read Koran. Children could also attend preschools called PAUD (Education for Children of the Early Age) at Jayagiri Village, Cilumber-Cibogo Village and Cibodas.
In health field, health services were given to children especially those with fragile health conditions, in the forms of the distributions of extra nutritious foods, vitamins and medicines (to kill worms). Those aids were given through the Mother & Baby Health Centre. In Lembang District there were altogether 40 Mother & Baby Health Centres