Vantage Foundation Joins Hands with KDM Foundation to Empower Street Children in Jakarta
During a recent visit to the KDM campus, Vantage Foundation team members were welcomed by Sotar Sinaga, Director of KDM Foundation, who shared the organisation's holistic approach to youth development. More than just a shelter, KDM offers an immersive and empowering environment where children are encouraged to explore their potential through activities like painting, handcrafting, football, and environmental education.
The visit offered a closer look at KDM's impressive self-sustaining ecosystem, which includes a small farm with chickens and catfish, alongside an organic waste management system. These initiatives not only serve practical needs, but also educate the children about sustainability, responsibility, and self-reliance.
A particularly moving moment was learning about the 'Pepe Doll' art project, created in partnership with local brand Tulisan. Inspired by the story of a young girl seeking food on the streets, proceeds from the sale of the dolls directly support KDM's mission to provide education and shelter to children in need.
KDM's outreach begins far beyond its campus walls. One of its most effective engagement tools is football – not simply as a sport, but as a platform to teach discipline, cooperation, and teamwork. By organising matches in the community, KDM builds trust and opens the door for vulnerable youth to find safety, guidance, and purpose.
"We don't call it fundraising – we call it friend raising," said Sotar Sinaga, Director of KDM Foundation. "Without friends, we cannot run our school or sustain these life-changing projects. It's the community that keeps us going."
Through this partnership, Vantage Foundation is proud to stand alongside KDM Foundation in its mission to create a brighter future for Indonesia's underserved children. The joy, resilience, and creativity witnessed during the visit deeply moved the Vantage team and reaffirmed the importance of investing in early, inclusive support for at-risk youth.
"The environment at KDM is filled with hope and opportunity," said Steven Xie, Executive Director of Vantage Foundation. "Every child we met carried a spark of potential and it's through partnerships like this that we can help them realise it. We are honoured to support KDM's incredible work and help amplify their impact."
Together, Vantage Foundation and KDM are not just building shelter – they're building futures, confidence, and connection. This collaboration marks another meaningful step in Vantage Foundation's ongoing journey to uplift communities and create lasting change.
Vantage Foundation
Vantage Foundation is an independent charitable organization launched at the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK in 2023. The foundation has partnered with organisations worldwide, including Grab Indonesia, the iREDE Foundation in Nigeria, Teach for Malaysia, and Instituto Claret in Brazil, to drive impactful social initiatives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Toronto Star
Indonesia suspends search for 29 missing after ferry sinking because of poor visibility
GILIMANUK, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities deployed navy ships and helicopters Friday in the intensified search for 29 people still missing almost two days after a ferry sank near the tourist island of Bali. But the search was later suspended because of poor visibility. More than 160 rescuers including police and soldiers were involved in the search that resumed after being halted overnight because of poor visibility, said Ribut Eko Suyatno, the deputy chief of operations at the National Search and Rescue Agency.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Toronto Star
Navy ships and helicopters used in intensified search for 30 missing after Indonesian ferry sinks
GILIMANUK, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities deployed navy ships and helicopters Friday in the intensified search for 30 people still missing almost two days after a ferry sank near the tourist island of Bali. More than 160 rescuers including police and soldiers were involved in the search that resumed after being halted overnight due to poor visibility, said Ribut Eko Suyatno, the deputy chief of operations at the National Search and Rescue Agency.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indonesian rescuers intensify search for 30 people missing after ferry sinks near Bali
GILIMANUK, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities intensified on Friday a search operation for 30 people missing after a ferry sank near the tourist island of Bali. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving Ketapang port in East Java late Wednesday for a trip of about 5 kilometers (3 miles) to Bali's Gilimanuk port. The search and rescue operation was halted Thursday evening due to visibility problems and resumed on Friday morning with more than 160 rescuers including police and soldiers, said Ribut Eko Suyatno, the deputy chief of operations at the National Search and Rescue Agency. Three helicopters and a thermal drone were deployed to conduct an aerial search over the waters of the Bali Strait, while about 20 vessels were mobilized for the sea search, Suyatno said. As weather forecasts predict high waves and rough waters around the Bali Strait on Friday, he said at least three navy ships to being deployed to replace small boats. Videos and photos released by the agency showed rescuers looking desperately from rescue boats in the waters but no new survivors. The agency released the names of 29 survivors and six people confirmed dead late Thursday. It didn't release names of the missing, but according to the passenger manifest there were 30 people missing. On Friday, survivors were being treated at Bali's Jembrana Regional Hospital, while the bodies have been handed over to the families for funerals. Distraught relatives gathered at the port office in Gilimanuk, hoping for news of missing family members. Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Survivors told rescuers there appeared to be a leak in the engine room of the ferry, which was carrying 22 vehicles including 14 trucks. Ferry tragedies occur regularly in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with weak enforcement of safety regulations often to blame. Fifteen people were killed after a boat capsized off Indonesia's Sulawesi in 2023, while another ferry sank in rough seas near Bali in 2021, leaving seven dead and 11 missing. In 2018, an overcrowded ferry sank with about 200 people on board in a deep volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra province, killing 167 people. In one of the country's worst recorded disasters, an overcrowded passenger ship sank in February 1999 with 332 people aboard. There were only 20 survivors. ___ Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
