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Indonesia: an OverviewNews and Project UpdatesIndonesia is the world's largest archipelago consisting of around 18,000 islands. It is situated in South East Asia and includes such well known islands as Java, Sumatra, Bali, Komodo, Kalimantan and Timor.
It is the world's fourth most populous nation in the world after China, India and the United States with an estimated population of 238 million (July 2008).
As more and more people from rural areas move into urban areas, huge strains are put upon housing, water supplies, health care, education and employment. Indonesia's Global hunger index – Serious (WFP 2009) - (This rating ranks countries on the basis of a combination of three indicators: level of child malnutrition, rates of child mortality, and the proportion of people who are calorie deficient. The ranking is updated annually- World Food Programme. Despite some improvements, Indonesia continues to suffer a steady decline in the nutritional status of children under the age of five. Nearly 28% of all Indonesian children under five years old suffer from malnutrition (Source: SUSENAS - National Socio-economic survey, Ministry of Health 2002) and in May 2006, the Ministry of Health stated that 21% of children in the capital city of Jakarta were malnourished. Up to 70% of women and children are anaemic (UNICEF), and 44% of children aged between 24-59 months have stunted growth (Indonesian Bureau of Statistics,2006). As a result of complications during childbirth or unattended childbirths, around 20,000 mothers die every year (UN) with maternal mortality remaining high at 307 deaths per 100,000 live births (UNICEF). Malaria affects up to 20 percent of the population, especially in Eastern Indonesia. Volunteering opportunitiesIf you are currently living in Jakarta and wish to do something positive with your time, do think about volunteering with us. We are always grateful for people with the following skills:
If you think you may be interested, please Contact Us
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Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami frequently affect Indonesia. Aceh, situated on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, was one of the worst affected regions in the world to suffer the devastating effects of the tsunami in December 2004 with around 200,000 Indonesians left dead or missing, and hundreds of thousands of people left homeless. Many more severe earthquakes in Indonesia have occurred since 2004. 
Micronutrient deficiencies: including iodine deficiency, vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiencies are prevalent. A lack of these micronutrients can lead to stunted growth, anaemia, night blindness, and a reduction of intellectual and physical capabilities in children making them much less likely to achieve their full potential, and more susceptible to illness and death.