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Stories of the work of the Kuda Putih Sejahtera Foundation, Indonesia
"Dedicated to creating job opportunities for the poor".
General information about the programs the KPS Foundation runs and stories from the grassroots of those involved with the project.
Vision and Mission
The KPS vision is to empower congregations and communities towards self-reliance as a whole and to be blessing for all. The KPS mission is to fulfill God’s words to serve our neighbors and also to create opportunities for communities with limited economic means, to develop the people’s capability and improve their quality of lives and their environment. Additionally, to find and develop the skills they have and increase the quality of their lives and the lives of others.
Secretariat at
Jl.U.T. Marisi No.16 Waingapu 87111
Sumba Timur – NTT, INDONESIA
Tel/Fax.+62 387 62366, 61889
Email: semkps@indo.net.id
The KPS Foundation consists of a Board (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary,
Treasurer and its members) and Executive Staff (Director, Chief Divisions
and several administrative, accounting staff and field officials). The
Kuda Putih Sejahtera Foundation, commonly known as KPS, is a Non-Government
Organization concerned with Community, Economic and Social Development. It
is legitimized by the Indonesian Government and registered to the Social
Department Regional Bureau of East Nusa Tenggara Province.
Objectives
KPS and its activities are intended to benefit the people and community of Sumba (the East Sumba, Middle Sumba, west Sumba and South West Sumba residencies,) which combined have a population of 400,000. 70% of the population live below the poverty line, with small incomes and low human resource levels. Of the 400,000, 60% are Christian, 30% Marapu and 10% other faiths.
The Sumba Churches and the KPS foundation aim to make a difference economically, in human resources and evangelism.
- To improve or increase the economic income of people in need and disadvantaged families by making any effort for the benefit of their family welfare based on their skills and needs.
- To develop the community’s Human Resources in all aspects of life.
- To create job opportunities for the benefit of the community by developing opportunities for creating self-supporting Micro-enterprises and other skills and taking advantage of the natural resources available in their local areas.
KPS’ activities are based on three main programs:
- Community Socio-economic Development program
- Human and Natural Resources Development program
- Productive Micro-scale Facility Development, on which depend the needs of the community.
Program Activities
Inter-Institutional Cooperation Program
This program is carried out by or in partnership with institutions of both governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) that have the familiar objectives both at home and abroad.
In all collaborative efforts KPS is flexible in conducting its programs along with other institutions. KPS should be able to adapt with other institutions as partners in cooperation. However, this cooperation should be achieved in accordance with the KPS service programs.
Motivation & Micro-Enterprise Consultation Program
This program is a community development program carried out by means of up-building and management consultation for the benefit of family’s productive micro-enterprise development, enabling improvement of economic income rates.
Human and Natural Resources Program
The purpose of this program is to develop the capability of knowledge
within each profession.
This program is carried out by training both the community (individuals
and groups) and KPS staff. In addition improving the natural resources
of any field or sector, such as agriculture, fisheries, carpentry, farming
(cattle breeding), small trade (vendors), etc.
Productive Micro-Enterprise Facility Program
This program offers short-term capital assistance for the benefit of the most marginalized, namely people in need or disadvantaged families, individuals and groups. To implement the program holistically and get support and legitimacy from the government, KPS has founded a multi-business cooperative system in order to help support the micro-enterprises with a cooperative management system.
Community Self-Supporting Groups Development Program
This is oriented towards building Community self-help groups (KSM) organizing groups and increasing micro-enterprise according to the needs and the activities of each group.
Agricultural Business Development Program
The purpose is to improve the agro-business sector by giving assistance and encouragement. This program is carried out through various activities: direct implementation in the fields, demonstration plots, productive micro-scale facilities development, etc.
Public Facilities Development Program
This aims to support other KPS service activities by augmenting public
health and infra-structural supply in certain areas.
Activities that have been carried out by KPS, include: clean water supplies,
small equitable housing, public bathing, washing and toilet facilities
and road-building in rural areas. This program was initiated by rural self-help
efforts; and the KPS helps support and facilitate these according to the
needs and demands of the local community.
Children’s Program
To support the holistic services development for all people in need, this NGO has a specific project called “Namu Angu” in Sumba.
This project includes various activities, programs and services the welfare of children and families in the following areas:
- Health: For children and families and environmental sanitation.
- Education: Tutorial upgrading for informal educators and pre-school tutors, renovating school buildings, sponsoring and assisting through scholarships and other educational aids, ranging from elementary school level to college and university.
- Economic Income Development Program: Contributing productive short terms plants in forms of any kind of seeds like peas and beans.
Community Training
In efforts to improve human resources and skills, KPS works to prepare a target community group in the west Sumba area to be trained on MED management. Core elements of the training are simple book-keeping, group organizing and accounting and organizational skills. Trainers come from KPS staff and other institutions, both private and government-run KPS partners.
In developing the organization, KPS staff receive training in organization, leadership, database programming and accounting. This is through cooperation with other institutions both at home and abroad.
Evangelism
KPS is working with a local congregation namely the GKS Kawangu (One of the Christian Church of Sumba’s congregations) to implement its mission on ministry and evangelism in the villages of Maubokul, Palindi and Laipori. Through this cooperative approach, it has reached out to over 200 new church members of the Christian Church of Sumba.
GKS Kawangu conducted an evangelistic activity on October 31, 2006, as follows:
- Baptism of 50 new believers who have made decisions to follow Jesus Christ. We have a further 150 new members who being pastorally guided by the Evangelism team and who may be baptised in the future.
Praise and Worship Night with entertainment by ‘Lanada’ Band and a sermon by The Revd Adolfina Pigalao. This took place in the churchyard of the GKS Kawangu – east Sumba and was attended by at least 3,000 church members from a variety of denominations and local areas. KPS distributed Bibles and Church hymns to 50 church members who were baptized at the time. Other local churches have requested to conduct a similar event to this in their own areas.
- Through MT fund, KPS also supported funding for church building construction of the Evangelism Post in Praihowar (under the ministry circle of the GKS Payeti), Evangelism Post in Maukaba (under the ministry circle of the GKS Kambaniru) and a few support of fund for the GKS Melolo.
- A broadcasting ministry on 103.6 FM Radio KPS Global airing a combination of spiritual and church songs, preaching, reflections and Bible studies conducted early in the morning and at the end of the radio program at night. KPS supplied some supporting tools and equipment to sustain the quality of the service. KPS Global radio also recorded and relayed the activities during the Praise and Worship Night Show which took place.
In the light of KPS commitment to ministry, KPS also plans to back-up all items of service and evangelism schedules to be a resource for other places.
Aside from the GKS Kawangu, the Christian Church of Sumba (the GKS Synod) faces the challenges in Sumba of coordinating its 98 local parishes to conduct evangelism in which mostly the population of Sumba are ‘Animism’ (read: “MARAPU” on the term of Sumbanese dialect). It is hoped that KPS can help support the work of GKS in coping with this challenge.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:11-14 (New International Version)
Some stories from the KPS Foundation…
Mr Theopilus Tedu and Ms Melsiani Djara Mega are a small family with 2 daughters; one of whom is in the Primary School. The family had a desire for a sewing machine, as they have skills in that sector, but because they didn’t have the necessary financial capital were not able to buy one. They heard about the KPS Foundation’s micro enterprise program and the family started consultations with the Field Staff of KPS about joining the program.
They received a first stage loan of $105,263 and are now in consultation about getting a second stage loan of $315,789.
Theopilus’ family have purchased a sewing machine and also bought a motorcycle to help both the business and their family needs. The rate of their income from the clothes they sew comes to $157,895 each month.
The family experienced real change as a result of the input from the Foundation. They can save their money, and meet their daily needs and the cost of educating their children at school.
This family have 4 children, the eldest is a student in primary school and the others are pre-school age. Mr. Imanuel’s main job is as a protestant clergyman at Bethel church, Padadita Waingapu. In order to support the family, they wanted to develop the production of Manggulu, a traditional food of Sumba made from dried bananas. It is mixed with peanuts amongst other things.
They contacted the KPS Foundation and received a loan of Rp. $105,263. Their average monthly profit is $73,684. Their efforts are paying off and they can already see the benefits and changes to the family.
Mr. Bura Mila and Mss. Lefina Rohi are a farming family with 5 children. They have a wet rice field 70 acres in width, in the political district administered by Lurah Mauhau. Three of their children are married and independent and they have 12 grandchildren.
They have some capital generated from the rice field they own and this is combined with loans from the KPS Foundation. They are now in the fifth period and have a loan average of $105,263 which they use to cover the cost of a tractor, fertilizer and maintainance costs.
Before receiving aid from KPS Foundation, they tried to develop the rice field but juggling the various costs reduced efficiency. In the past when harversting the rice, their average yield was just under 1 ton. After receiving the support from the KPS Foundation for increasing the capital and technical assistance, Mr. Bura Mila’s yield increased to between 1.5-2 tons of unhulled paddy each triwulan.
This increase in income from the rice field has gone directly towards fulfill their family needs.
Mr. Melkianus Mutu Wandir and his wife Katrina Kranja Ngana have two children. They have one rice field 40 acres in width and can’t plant intensively because of a lack of money. The family heard about the work of the KPS Foundation and consulted with staff over a job plan.
Although the family didn’t originally qualify to receive enterprise aid, the Foundation saw the family’s willingness to cultivate their rice field and their skills and interest. In the first stage, the Foundation helped them with a grant of $105,263,- for cultivating their field. The first harvest produced 1 ton of unhulled paddy or 1000 kg of rice. Of this, ½ ton they will sell and the other ½ ton can be used for the family until the next harvest.
The impact for them is that they can improve their house and support their children’s education, as well as saving and also helping to support another large family in the district.
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