Global Reach: Grantee Partners

Yayasan Kusuma Buana (YKB)

Context:

Young people in Indonesia face many challenges, particularly with regard to access to quality sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services. Law dictates that only married couples have access to family planning services. Abortion remains prohibited with few exceptions, which make safe abortions impossible to access at government health facilities. Unsafe abortions contribute to an incredibly high maternal mortality ratio in Indonesia - one of the highest in South East Asia. In recent years, the adolescent birth rate has increased as a result of the lack of (correct) information on SRHR and stigma. The Northern Coast of West Java Province, especially Indramayu District, Bongas sub district, where our partner intervenes, is also known as a major supplier of young women as sex workers to neighbouring cities. The young sex workers are primarily divorcees who are victims of early marriages. Early marriages occur due to families pushing their daughters into marriage for economic and cultural reasons, and teenage pregnancies. These have often resulted in early separation or divorce. Early marriages are usually carried out with an official permit issued by the District Religious Office. Bongas Sub District also has the highest cases of HIV in the West Java Province and 75% of cases are female.

Organisation:

YKB was established in 1980 and is committed to raising awareness of the general public and to education and training of health care professionals. YKB focuses on reproductive health services, including family planning, maternal-child health (MCH) care, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and the prevention of STIs and HIV/AIDS. It has evolved from providing community health services to conducting research and providing technical assistance to national and international organisations. It serves as a consultant to the Ministry of Health and the National Family Planning Coordinating Board, and is a flagship organisation for ASRH education in Indonesia. In 2003, YKB opened an informal junior high school in Indramayu District, which is now recognised by the government, to provide girls in resource poor settings with education. As high numbers of sex workers in Indonesia come from Indramayu, YKB became involved in trafficking prevention programmes. From 2003 to 2011, YKB led the Child Sex Worker Prevention Programme supported by an international donor. In 2005, YKB established a local arm in Bongas sub district (local knowledge and field presence) to implement a community based programme to prevent child trafficking in collaboration with Indonesia Anti Child Trafficking (IndoActs). 

Current Grant:

EMpower's seventh grant to Yayasan Kusuma Buana (YKB) enhances the knowledge and capacities on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) of 2,910 marginalised young people aged 10-24 years old of which half are girls and 60 adults (20 trained teachers, 20 trained Motekar members and 20 trained health providers). The programme continues to have the four components as the existing grant 1. School-based programme, 2. Community-based programme, 3. Support programme and 4. Awareness raising and advocacy in the wider community. As with the existing grant, the programme is delivered in three layers: 1. Directly delivered to the participants, 2. Delivered to an intermediary group of individuals and organisations to strengthen a community eco-system made up of PIK-Rs (youth information and counselling centre for family planning), IRMAS (mosque youth groups), Motekars (socially conscious community members who assist youth in various ways), community leaders and health providers and 3. Utilise the capacity of this eco-system to deliver the programme to the participants; gradually building sustainability. New components of the programmes include reaching out to the mosque groups, the establishment of a one-stop online ASRH counselling service, the establishment of a referral map with information on service providers and advocacy with the Family Planning District Office and Muslim Youth Coordinator.

Primary Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Funded Since: 2015

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