Mercy Corps Program in Indonesia Issues 500th Grant

Mercy Corps recently issued its 500th grant in Maluku, Indonesia. The small grants are helping businesses and families recover from conflict. Photo: Kim Johnston/Mercy Corps

In May 2003, in Maluku Province, Indonesia Mercy Corps issued its 500th grant to Yayassan Ina Hasa Laut, a local NGO to rehabilitate a water system in Desa Paperu, Saparua Island. This project will improve the lives of over 249 conflict-affected families.

Mercy Corps, which is celebrating its third year operating in Maluku, a province still recovering from conflict, opened its office in April 2000 and began working exclusively with local partners, the first organization to do so in the province, to address the emergency and recovery needs of the people.

To date over 300,000 people from Central and South East Maluku from the islands of Ambon, Buru, Banda, Seram, Haruku, Saparua, Nusalaut, Key Besar, Key Kecil and MTB have benefited from improved livelihood opportunities, water and sanitation facilities, shelter, schools and basic household equipment. Equally as important, over 150 local partners have strengthened their management and technical skills to continue serving the community in the long term. This improvement is a result of regular capacity building activities including trainings, workshops and coordination meetings as well as one-on-one counseling sessions.

On this occasion, Mercy Corps would like to thank the people of Maluku, its local partners, its donors including USAID, OTI (now OCPR), OFDA, USDA UNDP, UNOCHA, its staff, as well as local government authorities including DEPSOS. This fruitful collaborative effort have helped over 300 000 conflict affected people of Maluku regain dignity and hope.

Mercy Corps began program operations in Indonesia in 1999 with an emergency food & grants program. Since that time, operations have expanded to include six field offices serving a million people affected by the economic crisis & conflict in the country. To date, Mercy Corps has delivered over $21.5 million of programs in the areas of emergency, recovery and poverty reduction.

Mercy Corps' cornerstone has been to work primarily through local partners, addressing priority needs of communities in Maluku, Central Sulawesi, Sumatra, Java and Jakarta. Weaved throughout these activities have been the emphasis on the civil society principles of Mercy Corps on accountability, participation and peaceful change.