Project Background
SurfAid works in remote islands in Indonesia, where access to basic services is very low. This contributes to high maternal and child mortality rates, and low mother-and-child health status. Rote Island is one of the most vulnerable locations in East Indonesia. Being remote, it faces ongoing challenges of inter-generational malnutrition, poor health, food insecurity, limited fresh water and constrained public services.
On Rote, around 27% of the population is categorised as poor (BPS, 2024). This is triple the national poverty rate. Poverty contributes to malnutrition when community members cannot afford or understand the importance of nutritious food or important health behaviour such as exclusive breastfeeding. Women who eat poorly during pregnancy often give birth to small or low birth weight babies. Many of these children face stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies that severely constrain their growth and development.
Recent SurfAid initiatives on Rote, such as Resilient Roots supported by Footprints, have shown promising signs that this inter-generational cycle of malnutrition and poor health practices can be broken through behaviour change, especially men’s parenting, nutrition and health related behaviours.
Project Overview
Strong mothers and strong children begin with good nutrition and knowledge. This project will improve maternal and child health by strengthening household food security and empowering women in remote communities on Rote Island.
Activities will include:
- Developing information, education and communication materials to increase community engagement and knowledge about the importance of breastfeeding and essential healthcare practices for pregnant women and mothers of children under five years old.
- Developing information, education and communication materials and training sessions to husbands, fathers and male family members on exclusive breastfeeding and positive healthcare practices for pregnant women and mothers. This will enable them to play a more supportive role in positive health behaviours such as attending regular visits to the Posyandu (community health posts)
- Designing, producing and delivering information and behaviour change sessions to parents on healthy diets, nutrition and how to establish nutrition gardens for households.
- Designing, producing and delivering information and behaviour change sessions to parents on gender roles and decision-making, with a view to achieving greater levels of equity and empowerment for women.
Project outcomes
This project will deliver the following outcomes for women and children in Rote Island:
- Improved nutritional status of pregnant women and children under five years old, including increased rates of exclusive breastfeeding for infants aged 0-6 months
- Increased active involvement of fathers and male caregivers in supporting maternal and child nutrition, including facilitating access to healthcare and breastfeeding support
- Improved household nutrition and dietary diversity, supported by the establishment and maintenance of nutrition gardens across targeted households
- Improved socioeconomic status of women, reflected in greater control over household resources and increased participation in financial and health-related decision-making.
Together, these outcomes will improve the nutritional and socioeconomic status of women and children, reducing rates of stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies in Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province. Progress will be tracked through monthly monitoring by our Community Development Officers (CDOs).
What costs are covered?
The project cost will cover:
Community education sessions
- Workshops with mothers, fathers and community health volunteers
- Trainers and facilitators
Transport and logistics
- Local transportation for project activities and distribution
- Social Behaviour Change Specialist Trainers and Facilitators
Interactive learning materials
- Workshops with health and nutrition promotion staff and community volunteers for curriculum development
- Renting equipment and practising sessions
- Production of interactive learning materials on child nutrition and breastfeeding, tailored to local cultural context
Information, Communication, and Education (ICE) materials
- Graphic designer and video editor
- Printing and distribution of posters, leaflets and booklets
Partner and Community Involvement
This project will work directly with communities in the west of Rote Ndao, training community health volunteers as peer educators to increase community engagement and education on key messages.
SurfAid works with our local affiliate ARUNGI and communities to develop their own solutions that are culturally and geographically appropriate to the unique environment of remote islands.
Using a ‘hand up, not a hand out’ approach, SurfAid develops leaders from within villages and builds their capacity to support the development of the community.
How does this project fit into a larger strategy?
SurfAid and its local affiliate works alongside the Government of Indonesia to reduce malnutrition and improve the health, social and economic status of women and children living in remote locations.
Indonesia has made significant progress towards reducing malnutrition among children under five, pregnant women, school age children and adolescents. The national prevalence of stunting has reduced from 42% in 2018 to just under 20% in 2024. However, in some remote locations such as Rote Ndao, stunting remains between 26% and 31% of children under five (UNICEF, 2024).
Improving healthcare and nutrition outcomes in remote locations remain priorities of the Indonesian government. These priorities are being delivered by multiple government departments, NGOs and communities themselves.
Reducing rates of malnutrition calls for multiple actors at multiple levels. SurfAid plays an important role because we are focused on helping some of the most remote and vulnerable communities in Indonesia.