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Barefoot, caring, training, moving forward
๐ Hi, it's Alex. How are you? How are you today?
 Here in East Sumba, December is anything but a picture-postcard scene. Dust still lingers, the roads are starting to get muddy again, and the sky is undecided between sun and rain. We're sometimes like that, too. And yet we go anyway, because there are villages where no one comes and where a simple box of medicine can change everything.
These past few weeks have been incredibly intense and absolutely crazy.
We trained the Kawan Sehat health workers, really trained them, using real-life cases, challenging questions, and this constant reality: here, when an infection worsens or a child contracts pneumonia, there's no ambulance. There's an old motorcycle, a lamp, a phone, and procedures that must be followed correctly. So we reinforce those skills. Again and again.
 Meanwhile, the Truck of Life and all our teams have been tirelessly on the road, carrying medicines, equipment, and everything else needed where there are no pharmacies or supplies. We've also been working closely with local medical centres, particularly the Puskesmas of the Indonesian government. We don't work alongside them; we work with them because sustainable medicine is rooted in reality.
A key moment was the evaluation of the Kawan Sehat app. What started as a somewhat crazy idea is now fully adopted by healthcare workers. Every patient is registered confidentially. Around 1,000 patients per month, and that number is growing. This means better monitoring, reliable data, and more consistent medical decisions. The health authorities told us quite frankly: "-This app is more intuitive and more efficient than the ones we currently use..." A door is opening for 2026. We'll see where it leads.
On the ground, illnesses don't take a vacation.
 Many skin problems are often linked to water and poorly treated wounds. Many respiratory infections and digestive illnesses, as well as children who drink too little because water is scarce or unsafe. And then there are the serious issues, such as cases of leprosy, HIV, and hepatitis. How do we protect families? How do we protect the teams? How do we provide proper referrals without stigmatising? These are serious, medical, and essential discussions.
And, all too often, one phrase comes up: "-They arrived too late." Without access to healthcare, a wound becomes infected, an infection becomes sepsis, and here, sepsis kills quickly. It's hard to say, but it's the reality. That's precisely why the Primary Medical Care programme exists. Furthermore, everything indicates that we will be able to launch a large-scale sepsis study as early as 2026, which is a significant issue here.
 Amidst all this, there is also light. We continued distributing the SolarBuddy lamps. We still have a few hundred to distribute. Last week, to reach an extremely isolated school, we walked for twelve hours, round-trip, with our volunteers, the teaching materials, and the lamps: twenty-seven students, twenty-seven children without electricity. When the first lamp lit up, the fatigue receded for a moment.
We also evaluated the Water Connections projects in Hambarita and Laindatang. Today, I can say this simply because I conducted the evaluation myself: the Laindatang reservoir is full. 115,000 litres. Clean water. Here, it's not a luxury, it's preventative healthcare.
Finally, great news for us: after 12 months of searching, we have found land for our future medical and social centre in East Sumba. A real relief. This centre is essential to continue our work in a region with nearly a million inhabitants. The goal is clear: to present the project in early 2026 and begin construction in the first quarter. Without this foundation, our work would become too precarious.
๐Regarding this land, I encourage you to read the short presentation brochure in French here. {LINK}
But here's the thing: we're holding on thanks to you.
 I want to thank you sincerely. Your support, your messages, your donations, your sharesโall of this doesn't just sit on a screen. It becomes a medical bag, a ride in an ambulance, training, a lamp, clean, safe water.
For Christmas, I'm not asking you to pity us. I'm asking you to keep believing in tangible results. If, among your holiday gifts, there's a little space for Fair Future, I can promise you one thing: that gift won't stay here. It will leave, roll, be carried by hand, and arrive where it is needed.
Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season. Take care. And thank you so much for being there; we love you ููููููููููููููู๏ฎฉูจูโค๏ธ๏ฎฉูจู๏ฎฉ.
Alex, for Fair Future - Thursday, December 18, 2025 |
