Who are the people?
Indonesia’s national motto is “unity in diversity.” The people are proud that despite having 370 ethnic groups with different languages, traditions, cultures, and religions, they are united as one nation. The official language is Indonesian, but 583 languages and dialects are spoken throughout the islands.

Indonesia’s many different cultures have their own customs. Most rural people do not celebrate birthdays. Also, it is quite possible your sponsored child will have an arranged marriage, as this is a common practice in Indonesia. The minimum legal age to marry is 18 for girls and 21 for boys.

The families of most sponsored children work in agriculture and fishing. In some remote villages, schools are scarce and many children are unable to attend until they reach 10 years of age.

Sometimes villages lack enough good land for farming, so families move to the cities in search of a better life. But urban poverty is even more desperate, sometimes leading to drug addiction or prostitution. Through income-generating projects and education, World Vision is helping families to stay in their own communities.
Indonesia’s national motto is “unity in diversity.” The people are proud that despite having 370

Country Comparison	Indonesia	United States
Population	220 million	295.4 million
Land Mass	705,189 sq. miles	3,537,439 sq. miles
Life Expectancy	67 years	78 years
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000)	30	7
Literacy Rate	88%	97%
Primary School Enrollment	94 %	92%
Access to Safe Water	78%	100%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita)	$1,140	$41,400

Religion

<

What is it like to live there?
With 17,000 islands and islets, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. It has 100 active volcanoes, and its interior mountains, lush forests, and numerous rivers are a beautiful backdrop to your sponsored child’s home.

Indonesia’s climate is hot and tropical. It has a dry season from April to October and a rainy season from December to March. The rainy season sometimes brings severe floods that inundate roads, schools, and houses in the villages. It is normal for communication with your sponsored child to be delayed during this season.

After four decades of authoritarianism, Indonesia is now a democracy. Since the resignation of former President Soeharto in May 1998, a continuing wave of separatist movements has swept through several provinces.

Nearly half of the country’s workforce is engaged in agriculture. Once the world’s largest rice exporter, Indonesia was self-sufficient for years thanks to this staple crop. During the last few years, however, rice production has dropped due to severe drought, forcing the country to import a substantial amount of rice.
With 17,000 islands and islets, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. It has 100 activ
Indonesia Projects
With the support of generous donors like you, World Vision is partnering with families throughout Indonesia to build brighter futures filled with hope for their children.

Many activities are under way to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance.

Overall program goals include:

• Providing tuition and school supplies to enable children to attend school.
• Supplying libraries with additional books to enhance children’s education.
• Conducting regular health check-ups for boys and girls.
• Teaching mothers about hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention so they can better care for their children.
• Drilling wells to provide safe, clean water and reduce waterborne diseases.
• Establishing pharmacies to provide families with essential medicines at a low cost.
• Introducing farmers to new agricultural techniques that can increase food production and improve nutrition for their children.
• Helping families start small businesses to better provide for their children.

Unfortunately, at this time, online picture folders are not available from Indonesia.

You may still be able to sponsor a child from Indonesia by clicking here and submitting a special request.