Indonesia

After conflicts on the Moluccan Islands in eastern Indonesia between 1999 and 2003, there were thousands of refugees. Many of the affected minority group have since settled on the island of Seram. Unfortunately, there is an acute lack of schools for their children in the area. Thanks to the considerable support of a Swiss foundation and an entrepreneur, we were able to build a secondary school for 150 refugee children in Kayratu district. Preparations and construction were undertaken by our long-term local partner. In 2010, the official handover of the keys took place in the presence of local government representatives.

The generous support of a Swiss foundation also enabled us to build a primary school for 150 refugee children in the town of “Desa KM9” on the Moluccan Islands. Our long-standing local partners were responsible for overseeing the construction and the necessary preparations. Towards the end of 2011, the new facility was officially opened in the presence of local government representatives, although it had already been in operation for several months prior to that.

Many of the displaced persons ended up in remote villages and tried to build a new existence there. The existing schools couldn’t cope with the sudden influx of newcomers. Many children had no educational opportunities. Thanks to the generous support of a Swiss foundation, we were able to build a secondary school for over 200 refugee children in the village of Sayoang. In addition to the school building, the site includes a toilet block and a sports field. The school was officially opened at the end of 2012. At the joyous occasion, the appreciation for the help from Switzerland was emphasised. Now the future for the youth of this village is looking a lot brighter.

Thanks to the generous support of a Swiss foundation, we were able to construct several additional school buildings on the island of Seram, which is particularly affected by the influx of refugees. During 2015, we constructed five school buildings in four different places with facilities for a total of 1000 children. The buildings were officially opened in 2015 in the presence of local authorities and a SwissRelief representative. Those present repeatedly said: “Finally our children have the chance to shape their future in a positive way.”

Today, these schools are self-sufficient and running without the continued support of SwissRelief.