Last week, the Susila Dharma Board members met via Zoom to finalize grants for 2022. We began the day with latihan and a few test questions to guide us in our work.
By the end of the day we had approved $76,465 to be distributed to 21 humanitarian projects!
We thank you for your generous support and are thrilled to pass along your gifts to the projects.
We thank you for your generous support and are thrilled to pass along your gifts to the projects.
Introducing Cows for Kids
Cows for Kids is located in Zimbabwe, Africa and is part of the Sahwira Fund, which is dedicated to improvement in health, education and quality of life for orphaned and at risk children. This fund supports the Maulana School for Orphans. Cows For Kids is a new sustainable funding project, which your donations will support.
The goal is to purchase at least 50 free-range cows on a ranch owned by one of the Sahwira Fund board members. The annual birthing of offspring will eventually allow for the sale of cows, providing revenue for the orphanage and students.
“Cows For Kids” will also be an internship program at the cattle ranch for select students from the Maulana School for Orphans. This will provide the students an opportunity to learn the profession of farming and ranching, which is a crucial and thriving business in Zimbabwe with many avenues for further employment.
Cows for Kids
Subud CA member Rohana LoSchiavo initiated the project and serves on the Sahwira Fund’s Board of Directors.
Anisah Center provides free education for Rohingya refugees in Northern Malaysia who are not permitted to attend public school. These are children who have fled from genocide and have lost everything.
Our Subud sister, Nadya Holland, began this project with limited funds but great faith that she could make a difference. The Subud Winston-Salem group heard of this plight and decided to help. At this time Nadya and her assistant teach 25 students in leased space that Nadya has remodeled with the help of the children’s parents.
Already there are more children wishing to attend. Our hope is that with increased funding the school will grow and provide a future for these children.
Would you like to breathe the fresh mountain air, help our environment, and enjoy fellowship with friends and family? Human Force and Atalanta Association invite you to attend Camp Colorado this summer, July 9th -15th. Visit www.humanforceprogram.com for more information.
For most of us December is a busy month filled with family, gifts, lights and worship. But for those of us on Susila Dharma Board, December brings an extra special gift. This is the month we receive yearly reports from the projects your donations support.
It’s inspiring to read these reports and witness the effects these projects have on the communities they serve. Besides the usual financial information documenting how the funds were spent, projects also share photos and stories of how their work made a difference in the lives of those who have been helped by this funding.
Our holiday gift to you is to share a few of these stories.
From YUM (Yayasan Usaha Mulia) Stunting Prevention Program:
Ibu Yuliati, 33 years old, pregnant mother from the village of Sei Gohong
I am a housewife whose daily activities consist of taking care of the family and selling clothes online. I have 3 children and am now pregnant with my 4th child.
I was told about the Stunting program in August (at that time I was 4 months pregnant) by the kader (volunteer health worker) in my village. I immediately signed up for the program. When I listened to the information that the kader conveyed, I was happy and interested because I believe this program is very good and very helpful for pregnant women. Moreover, every month there is assistance with nutritional packages such as milk, fruits, eggs, green beans and others. Most importantly, I received knowledge about stunting, which I only found out after participating in the program from YUM.
In the past, when I was pregnant with my previous children, I rarely went to the health facilities to check my baby’s condition but now I know how important it is to do a routine check every month. Also, after knowing how important our hemoglobin level is during pregnancy, now I regularly take iron deficiency tablets because I had difficulty giving birth before. I want to make sure that nothing will happen to my baby.
I hope that this program will continue because it is very helpful, especially for people who cannot afford nutritious food.
Ibu Hosiana, 33 years old, volunteer health worker from Transmigration site in Sei Gohong village
I have been a kader (volunteer health worker) for a long time but this is the first time I have been directly involved with such an activity. Usually when there is a special training or activity, the kader who participate are selected in advance, but with YUM, anyone who is interested and willing can be involved.
The activities of YUM are also different from those carried out by private and public agencies that collaborate with kader because usually after the materials are provided, it stops there. However, with YUM, based on all the activities I have participated in, there has always been continued support – if there is something that is not understood, we can easily ask the YUM staff.
During this stunting activity, I was very happy because I could share my knowledge and experience with other people. I have also gotten to know many people so now I have many friends.
Apart from being a kader, I am also a participant in the Stunting program. I am very happy with the nutrition packages I receive every month. It’s very helpful because I feel that my nutritional needs during pregnancy are fulfilled. I feel that I can do many activities during my pregnancy and this is evident from my monthly examinations: my condition and the baby’s are always healthy. On October 4, 2021, I gave birth to a normal healthy boy with a weight of 2.8 kg and a length of 51 cm.
I do hope this Stunting program continues and is offered not only in Bukit Batu but also in other areas because this program is very helpful especially for those who don’t know anything about stunting.
From YTS (Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta):
Binti (Pak Jumar’s daughter) harvests cucumbers in Pak Jumar’s garden.
‘Never Give Up’ is the motto of the women from KUB (community-based business group) Kartini. They are always very enthusiastic and committed to their program activities.
Just like this year, even with a lot of challenges – the pandemic, the unexpected long rainy season – the women worked hard and were hopeful to try practicing the new farming method of polyculture they just learned in March.
They failed three times: snails and ants attacked their eggplants, chillies, and long beans. They were disappointed but they did not give up trying the fourth time and succeeded!
Catfish harvest – Suripto KUB Banama Jaya Mulya
Catfish from our own home
Suripto and Sahiber are two members of KUB (community-based business group) Banama Mulya Jaya and they produce fingerlings and fish feed from their home.
The biggest cost for fish famers is the fish feed, and a few years ago YTS started an intensive fishery program in this area to help them tackle this issue. After a series of trainings, practicing, and direct assistance from a local fishery expert, now some members can do fish breeding without assistance from YTS or an expert.
Fish breeding is very challenging, it requires a lot of technical skills and preparations, and for Suripto and Sahiber to be able to do it this year is a big win for this community. They now can buy fingerlings near their home, and they can produce fish feed in their backyard.
The members of KUB Gawi Hatantiring are not only growing vegetables, managing their fish pond, and also the animals in their garden but also actively involved with the village program. They also sell their fish product at the recreation area nearby. They sold fish crackers, fish cake, and cassava chips. They also cater food for government events in Bukit Batu subdistrict where the fish products become one of specialty foods served.
From Human Force camp at Atalanta Cooperative:
We held a 3 day, 2 night mini-event for people of all ages in October 2021 (the longer summer camp program was postponed due to travel restrictions). Our group for this project was truly inter-generational, with our youngest participant only 9 months old, and our oldest nearly 82!
It was an inspiring experience to see all generations working together, with teens helping with childcare and engaging the young ones, and older participants working side by side with children. Several of the elder participants commented on the special feeling of connection and family they felt during the experience, and how beautiful it was to see everyone coming together and learning from one another.
Comments from those lucky enough to attend;
“Inspiring experience to see all generations working together!”
“A place where the opportunity to explore your talents can be done!”
“It was a wonderful gathering, with people of all ages coming together to work on the land”
“The feeling of working together, though on several different activities, was very harmonious and community building”
“It was awesome, even though I got tired more quickly than I had hoped or expected. Well, nearly 82 years old is nearly 82, I guess.”
There’s still time left to support our Fall Fundraiser
Contribute and lower your taxable income:
For those over 70 who must withdraw funds from their IRA, please consider QCD, Qualified Charitable Distributions. A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. Read about QCDs here.
Planned Giving:
Read about planned giving to the Susila Dharma USA Endowment Fund here.
Thank you to those who have been moved to contribute to Susila Dharma and the projects we support. This year we have been especially grateful for the funds given in the names of those who passed on recently. It feels like they’re still here helping to make a difference in the world.
In memory of my parents and grandparents (Jawaharlal Prasad)
In memory of Harris Clemes (Benedict and Aminah Herrman, and Marilyn Schirk)
In memory of Stuart Sundet (Hassanah Nelson)
In memory of Robert Feltman’s 1000th day (Lydia Feltman)
You can donate to our Fall Fundraiser by following this link. Now is the time when we receive most of the funds to support 2022 grant requests. Thank you for your support.
Covid-19 Relief Efforts at Anisha
We also want to thank the Guru Krupa Foundation, our partner in supporting the Anisha Kitchen Garden Project in rural India. We share this update from this project.
As the world has struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic since 2020, India was particularly hard hit in the spring and summer of this year. In a very rapid progression of the disease across India, the government imposed a tight lock-down that forced millions of workers living in India’s large urban areas to return to their villages of origin. When they got there, life was very tenuous with very little chance of earning an income or managing to feed families restricted by the lockdown. Anisha had to abandon its plans to launch Year Five of its successful Kitchen Garden Project (KGP) because of school closures.
With the situation growing rapidly desperate, Anisha and other local leaders banded together to find ways to help stranded families survive. Anisha’s focus went on to food relief and transporting Covid patients to treatment and quarantine centers. An appeal went out to one of Anisha’s major donors – the Guru Krupa Foundation based in New York state – to reallocate funds they had designated for Year Five of the KGP to fund Anisha’s Covid relief work. The Foundation immediately responded by offering its KGP Year Five grant of $10,000 to support this vital local effort. As a result, 520 local families received life-saving dry ration kits, and gasoline expenses to support the free transport of covid patients were covered, as well as PPE for volunteers.
Deepest thanks go out to the Guru Krupa Foundation for its dedicated and significant support for Anisha over the last five years. When their help was most urgently needed this year, their response was immediate and very greatly appreciated. As Susila Dharma does its work in the world, having partners like the GKF makes all the difference!
Update from Michelle Fried, FUEGOS founder:
“Our first group of students graduated in a ‘solemn ceremony’ followed by a fun fiesta with food and dancing. We are so proud of them, as are their parents/significant others. Together we celebrated the formation of ambassadors of real, healthy food that highlights the students´ cultural identity, their newly-developed skills and the products of the land and sea. Iche, the B Corporation of social responsibility restaurant, is hiring two of our graduates. We trained them and they will have good jobs.”
We hope the photos, words and project updates we share in this year’s letter will help you feel close to the wonderful projects your donations support. We thank you for all the help you have given and continue to give to Susila Dharma USA.
Introducing Michelle O. Fried and FUEGOS (Food for Change)
Michelle
Michelle is a North American citizen who has lived and worked in Ecuador since 1972. She held the position of Program Director for the World Food Programme and is well known in Ecuador as the woman who wrote the first cookbook of Ecuadorian food. The cookbook became a best seller and is still sold in airport shops as well as in grocery and bookstores. Besides cooking, Michelle had a role in helping to promote women’s organizations, through food to bring about awareness of domestic violence issues. In her early years living in Ecuador women were not allowed out of the house without their husband’s permission so they could not seek help if they were being abused. Michelle, along with an Ecuadorian doctor who worked with new mothers, offered a class in cooking and childcare. Since the class was about cooking and children the men permitted their wives to attend. Through this class, women opened up about their abuse and a movement to help these women began. These issues are still not completely resolved but greatly improved from those early days.
Although Michelle has retired from her United Nations position, she is still involved in development work through food. Along with others in Ecuador she recently founded FUEGOS, “Food for Change”, an organization of the civil society which uses food to bring about social, economic and environmental change. FUEGOS successfully opened a restaurant and food & hospitality school in San Vicente, a small fishing town near the epicenter of the 2016 earthquake this past year.
The BCU School in Kalimantan, Indonesia recently shared a story about one of their students who is now using what she learned at BCU to give back to Society.
Fenissya (left) posing with Iga during BCU school days. Iga is now also an entrepreneur opening her own restaurant and cafe. Taken in 2009
As a young child Fennisya Veronica saw an ad in the newspaper about the BCU School. Although she didn’t speak English she begged her parents to send her to this school. She just knew it was what she wanted. Her parents relented and Fennisya became a student in 2005 and graduated in 2011. Here’s what Fennisya would like to share with SD USA members:
“BCU’s learning method focuses on practical interactions and nurturing human values as well as an enriching learning environment. BCU School has taught me how to adapt and be tolerant to differences. At this moment, I have created an International Foundation, Euroweek School of Leaders Indonesia in Central Borneo that values humanity and differences which focuses on enhancing English, leadership skills, Social, Communication, and creativity skills, and understanding different cultures, and being tolerant. BCU School has given me the mindset of giving and sharing and has also greatly impacted my personal development and professional skills indirectly. I stand for those same values until this moment that BCU taught me. BCU is not just a school, it is like my home, a very welcoming place, and I want my community in Central Kalimantan to experience what I had.”
Fennisya (2nd from right) in Netherlands during her studies dancing for some event – posing with Indonesia’s foreign minister (Retno Marsudi)
Visit SD Network Passport
If you want to feel good about the world visit SD Network Passport and enjoy. Posted on this network are presentation from SD projects like Quest, I Protect Me and many others. Just go to YouTube and search SD Network Passport.
The goal is to purchase at least 50 free-range cows on a ranch owned by one of the Sahwira Fund board members. The annual birthing of offspring will eventually allow for the sale of cows, providing revenue for the orphanage and students.
