Hello everyone!

I am raising money for a new community health program of Harapan Fian which will provide impactful social support for single mothers.

Harapan Fian is a generous community-based organisation in Yogyakarta, Indonesia that supports women living in street situations.

From helping community access free basic healthcare, advocating to ensure everyone has legal ID, and encouraging children to attend school, Harapan Fian fosters a safe space for vulnerable urban poor communities.

I am a Deakin University public health student living in Indonesia and interning at Harapan Fian as part of my Bachelor of Health Sciences/Arts degree. Growing up in the small-town community of Gisborne, Victoria, I recognise how important neighbourly connection and support is with those around you, and truly what a privilege that is. For many young single mothers in Yogyakarta, social and bureaucratic discrimination prevents them and their children from living healthy, fulfilled lives.

Having witnessed first-hand a mother crying as she considered the financial and administrational challenges of her sons attending primary school, Harapan Fian and I are developing a new program to directly assist young mothers experiencing conditions below the basic standard of living.

Since being welcomed to the tight-knit team at Harapan Fian I’m overwhelmed with how impactful their work is and wish to help much as I can during my internship, particularly as all their work is funded by grassroots crowdfunding.

This GoFundMe fundraiser will directly support a pilot program of Harapan Fian - Alternative Social Assistance: Empowering Indonesian single mothers in street situations. While Indonesian government has an existing social assistance program (similar to Centrelink in Australia), the program is inaccessible for those most in need. Young single mothers living in street situations face several barriers to receiving social assistance, including lack of government ID, community discrimination and poor financial literacy.

Advertently responding to this need, the 6-month program will support 10 young single mothers living in Yogyakarta, providing alternative, more impactful social welfare support from November 2025 -May 2026. Each mother will receive 250000 rupiah ($25 AUD) per month to contribute to living costs such as rent, transport and healthcare.

In addition, mothers will participate in monthly group support meetings with Harapan Fian to voice their concerns and receive tailored, one-on-one support. Alongside the 250000 monthly allowance, Harapan Fian will assist mothers to organise ID cards, register for health insurance and enrol their children in school. Focusing on empowerment and program sustainability, mothers will learn how to budget and utilise their money effectively, while forming practical long-term strategies to overcome their everyday challenges.

This fundraiser goal of 22,000,000 rupiah ($2000 AUD) will fully fund the Alternative Social Assistance program for its 6-month duration in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

All donations big or small are welcome! For example, a $50 AUD donation will directly support one young mother for two months.

You can see more about Harapan Fian’s impactful work on their website Harapan Fian and Instagram Harapan Fian IG.

Please reach out if you have any questions or can assist in another way.

Terima kasih!

Kindly from Indonesia,

Emma

Harapan Fian Intern

*Please note Australian donations are not tax deductible as the funds are going directly to an Indonesian organisation