We are delighted to announce the release of Samdhana Institute 2020 Annual report.  The year of 2020 was a year that tested us beyond measure. The Covid-19, had a severe impact on all aspects of society, including our operations and many things have shifted and adjusted for us to continue support our community and partners. 

In 2020, we were able to support 81 communities and civil society partners throughout the region, with grants amount disbursed 550,000 USD, is an indicative of our partners resiliencies and validates that we are still determined in finding hope and strength to support the indigenous people and local community. 

From the Capacity development programme, coming from the Philippines are the stories about the Calamian tagbawa women and youth traditional food documentation and Higaonon and Bukidnon women and youth leadership, captured their determination to keep their traditional values preserved.  From Indonesia, the program continues to serve to the community in developing training for gender quality and social inclusion (GESI) as well as to enhance community skills for communication and documentation. While in Laos, we were still striving to develop Laos youth critical thinking skills. 

Highlights from the Lifescape Program are coming from the SHIELD project that completed and established environmentally sustainable governance and promoted greater opportunity for inclusivity and cultural sensitivity, meanwhile the ICON project had successfully established indigenous tree nurseries, community vegetable and herbs garden for 3 Communities in Higaonon, Bukidnon and Cagayan de oro. 

From Indonesia, we are still doing effort in enabling community in livelihoods and social enterprises, in west Kalimantan, the community in Melayang hamlet were able to enhance their knowledge and skill for good agricultural practices, and in result producing the phenomenal green butter. 

The highlights from the policy support programme, we are still supporting IPLC’s and CSO’S for the regency regulations and regents’ decisions for the boundary ruling of indigenous law communities. Coming from the land of Papua, where the Aifat tribe Marga Baho, in Tambraw Regency, west Papua, can now enjoy their ancestral home with the enactment of regency decree no 72 year 2020, which consist the recognition and protection of the Aifat Tribe to preserve their traditions on their ancestral lands. 

The Samdhana Institute 2020, annual reports introduced NOKEN for the first time. NOKEN as Samdhana’s initiative interpreted Noken as the act to "weave" support and solidarity with forest and indigenous communities. NOKEN had gathered various communities in its 4 Nokening in Papua and Jawa, creating a community market based on local's needs, women empowerment, and other simple acts yet impactful and heartfelt for indigenous and small communities. 

Updates on the Samdhana Fellows that comprise a diverse community of activist, thinkers, artists, researchers and officials from across Southeast Asia and beyond were also briefly shared in this annual report.

Lastly, we would like to thank our donor, our partner and to all Samdhana team in the region for bringing their best throughout difficult year of 2020, your support goes a long way in helping us to fulfil Samdhana’s mission.

Please click on the link below to view our 2020 Annual Report and find more story of our work and partners.

The Samdhana Institute Annual Report 2020