“Indeed, generosity and charity always go hand-in-hand with the worship of God. Why is that? It is because the fruit that comes from human beings worshiping God is generosity.” (63 WAS 2)

We pray that everyone observing the Ramadan fast receives God’s grace and blessings. For those wishing to give Zakat*, donations this year will be split between Beautiful Portland in the USA and YUM (Yayasan Usaha Mulia) Stunting Prevention Project in Indonesia. These projects provide essential services to individuals and families in dire need. Read updates below.

Beautiful Portland update from Jennifer:

Beautiful Portland is more active than ever. I am continuing as Executive Director while I have a new helper with all of the daily physical operations. My focus as Director is on fundraising and expansion.

Right now we are distributing around 2,000 lbs of food a week through my helper and our volunteers. Our monthly expenses for the two stipends and operations are currently $2.5 K a month, and will increase once we have a mini warehouse built out, where we will have food storage and food “shopping” capabilities.

The board of Beautiful Portland and I would also like to expand by way of providing more micro grants to Portland grassroots groups that do not have the resources to become non-profits. I am in a unique position to understand the needs of often the most active in helping others on the streets – the grassroots groups, as that was my personal beginning in humanitarian work. Often, the expense or complication of complex paperwork, keeps groups from becoming 501 C 3’s, and so they are doing a lot of “boots on the ground” work with limited support.

I am also working with a former Oregon senator regarding changing legislation on how food “waste” (too close to expiration but not spoiled) is managed by industrial food companies. Industrial food waste creates 1/4 of greenhouse gas emissions. About 80% of the food distributed by Beautiful Portland is technically considered “waste” but is not expired and feeds hundreds weekly.

YUM Stunting Prevention Program:

YUM is working to reach:

24 integrated health centres in 11 villages in West Java & 15 integrated health centres in 7 villages in Central Kalimantan. They are training 120 volunteer health workers in West Java and 30 volunteer health workers in Central Kalimantan.
A total of 400 pregnant women will be receiving healthcare support during their pregnancy in both areas.

*Zakat is a charitable donation traditionally given at the end of Ramadan. Unlike regular donations to SD USA during the rest of the year (disbursed annually as grants to projects), zakat donations are passed on immediately to the projects. As always, if you wish to earmark your zakat donation for a different project, indicate your preference with your payment.

Many of our SD supported projects are growing and expanding in unexpected ways. Here are two examples. The opening of a roadside café and the gift of a piano have all contributed to our projects meeting the needs of the communities they serve.

Inner City Schools

Thanks to contacts made through Subud gatherings and a piano, the Inner City School Project has expanded to help a high poverty school in New Jersey desperately in need of supplies for students participating in online learning.

The story begins with Ophelia Hurst, a Subud Member from Pennsylvania who was moving to Tucson. She wanted to give away her piano and asked another Subud member, Deanna McFadden, for advice. It turns out that Deanna’s daughter Olivia is a principal in a high poverty school in New Jersey. Contact was made and the piano delivered to her school. During the conversation with Olivia, it was discovered that the school was in need of much more than a piano. They needed paper, crayons, markers and white boards and dry erase markers, a must have for elementary students. These supplies were especially important since the school year would begin online. It was going to be hard enough to teach virtually but to not have basic supplies made the task even more difficult.

Ophelia left the school feeling she had to do something. She happened to be in touch with Pennsylvania Subud member Kevia Walton not knowing that Kevia’s mother is Hamidatun, founder of the Inner City Schools Project. Kevia contacted her mother to see if she had any money to share since some of the schools she was supporting in LA were on pause due to Covid. Hamidatun had received earmarked funds for her project and after contacting SD USA to make sure she could use the funds for a school in New Jersey she said, “yes, order supplies!”

Currently Kevia is waiting for her orders to arrive so she can personally deliver the supplies to Olivia. Due to so many students in the country needing white boards, dry erase markers and construction paper, everything is on back-order. But as soon as they arrive, Kevia will deliver the supplies.

Yayasan Permakultur Kalimantan

A door that was closed opens due to the Little Café That Could. Read Myriam Ramsey’s report on how the YPK Permaculture project is growing and helping communities in Kalimantan.

When I visited Permakultur Kalimantan Foundation, YPK, last January, Frederika and her husband Jayadi were just completing the construction of a café they expected would provide a small amount of money to supplement their permaculture project. They had no idea of the consequences of this Café.

Up to this point, their project had been conducting workshops on sustainable farming in partnership with the 1,000,000-tree project. The farmers that attended were from villages several hours away. The techniques these farmers learned were successfully implemented in their villages with great benefit to the environment and health of these communities.

But none of the farmers near the project were interested. These farmers continued to use pesticides causing the land to dry up and health problems for the villagers. But Frederika was patient and understood you can’t force people to listen, learn and change. The attitude of her neighbor farmers all began to change with the opening of her café and the effects of Covid on the areas around her farm. The café has become a place to get something nice to drink and sit and relax outside and visit. Suddenly her neighbors are open to learning about sustainable farming. Seeing and tasting the delicious food and beverages she sells that have been grown in ways that build the soil and without pesticides have opened the feelings of her neighbors. The café is so popular the new problem is how to keep up with demand.

Frederika was recently interviewed on the podcast, Beaming Green,

Episode Two – Pioneering Permaculture in Borneo, Indonesia.

It’s a wonderful and inspiring story filled with courage and amazing event after amazing event. Please listen.

Click here to hear the podcast

Thanks to Subud Portland and many generous donors, SD USA has received a total of $10,000 for project support!

The match has now been closed. Contributions to Susila Dharma are always welcome but will no longer be doubled.

Many thanks for your support, and a big THANK YOU to Subud Portland!

Here is an update from Muhammad Bachrun Bustillo, Founder of Borneo Football

Life in Kalimantan is still difficult. The Coronavirus crisis seems to be far from over and positive cases have been increasing gradually according to government reports.

The economy has been affected badly and I would say that everyone is having problems to secure an income.

After visiting more than 2,000 families in the area our BFIA staff confirmed how this crisis is affecting particularly the poor. Public schools have been closed for weeks, many people lost their jobs and right now their main priority is to find food.

Until now we have been able to get support to assist many families but we are not sure for how long if things don’t improve. BFIA team still keeps working hard and is in good spirits and optimistic but the future is uncertain.

BFIA activities in the areas of sports, health & nutrition and education have been adapted to the current situation and we keep in close contact with all our beneficiaries from the training centers and schools.

We encourage the practice of sports and football at home providing sports material and online tutorials. Additionally, we are distributing educational material for arts and our BFIA Basic English Course.

Borneo Football staff is working hard to reduce the local spread of the Covid 19 and despite stringent salary cutbacks, the staff are still motivated to support, mentor, and monitor the well being of the children and many families in need.

In continuation of the present work, which may be considered as the Initial Phase and to better help the community, the Borneo Foundation is preparing an Action Plan to respond to the present situation, and to prepare for the future.

As the world economy suffers from the continuing emergency situation, foundations are faced with dwindling donations and grants. Although Borneo Football still has committed supporters, funds are limited – and decreasing. Looking for new funding is a challenge because the competition is strong amongst the finite number of institutions and resources.

It is clear that the Covid-19 crisis represents a big challenge for all of us but we at Borneo Football think that in these kinds of situations we as Subud members can make a difference in the world.

Hope we all can walk in that direction and let’s pray that we all can survive this difficult test.

Muhammad Bachrun Bustillo

Watch this video: Kalimantan Covid-19 Prevention and Response Program