Social and medical project

North-Sulawesi is a small province in the east of Indonesia on the northern tip of Sulawesi island with around 4 million inhabitants. The biggest city (400.000 people) is the capital Manado. The main harbor is in Bitung city. In Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country, the province is exceptional because in North-Sulawesi most people are Chistian. Thanks to its slogan; "All people are brothers" North-Sulawesi was not hit by inter-religious unrest in the past. Religion is more a binding than a separating factor.

The level of emancipation also makes the province exceptional. Women in leading positions in society are acceptable and men and women can work together and communicate at an equal level. Most of our local partners in the province have women in their boards and some entirely consist of women.

A third aspect and an important reason to intergrate social, medical and HIV objectives into one project, is the more open attitude about HIV in the province. Medical workers, community leaders, governmental organizations and the local people all slowly start to become more aware about HIV and they feel the need to address the problem. This created an unique opportunity to effectively contribute to stopping the epidemic.

Current status

The social and medical project was created in 2007/2008 at the initiative of our local partners in North-Sulawesi. These local NGO's and CBO's proposed a whole range of social, medical and HIV related activities according to their speciality and local need. Some of the proposed activities have already been realized.
- Placement of 5 watertanks in Kasawari village
- Construction of 3 toilets and wash cabins on Sangihe island
- Purchase of agricultural and cooking equipment for the Serba Usaha cooperation in Wori
- Purchase of small medical equipment for a basic healthcare center and maternal care post
- HIV (post-)education for 400 medical workers, 100 medical workers are in training now.
- HIV socialization in several communities

Independence and self-reliance are two of our core-values. That is why our local partner organizations are involved in all phases of the project. Project activities are proposed by the local organizations based on their analysis of local problems. These organizations, CBO's and NGO's set up by and/or working with underprivileged people, also realize the activities and account for them via project reports and financial accounts.

For the same reason Neba hopes to achieve a change in attitude in the partner organizations and target group so that they, as a result of participating in the project will get the tools they need to shape their own lives.

Target Group:

The main target group of the project is underprivileged people. An underprivileged person is someone that has less chances to successfully participate in society. In general underprivileged people are poor people; people living of less than € 2,- a day. Over half the people of Indonesia would be considered poor by this definition.

1. Realizing sanitation infrastructure (clean water and toilets)
2. Support basic and reproductive healthcare
3. HIV knowledge improvement (socialization)
4. HIV training for medical staff
5. Support HIV, STD and VCT services

Goals

• Construction of 5 toilets and wash cabins on Sangihe island
• Small medical equipment for 15 healthcare centres in Bitung
• HIV socialization for 12 schools and 9 communities
• HIV training and post-education for 500 medical workers
• Establishement of a mobile clinic

In the social and medical project results are sustainable.

First of all because local partners and target groups are involved in all phases of the project. After the project the partner organizations become owner of any constructed infrastructure or purchased equipment. The involvement and the ownership creates a sense of belonging to the project; local partners and target groups will feel responsible for the project and its results.

The equipment and the constructed infrastructure are relatively inexpensive and low-tech, so that the local partners that become owner will be able to raise the funds to maintain them.