From the field in East Sumba. Medical care, clean water, prevention and community health where access remains difficult.
Picture of the Day
One photograph, one moment from our work in the field
The people behind the picture
These photographs are taken by our teams during their daily work. A consultation at home, a lesson under a new light, a water tap used for the first time: each image comes with the story of a person, a place or a shared task. The photographs and words are our own.
Explore our stories and resources
Latest pictures and stories
From our teams · Newest first
The Light They Can Take Home, and the Children Still Waiting
Children in East Sumba lift their SolarBuddy lamps above classroom desks. These gifts can help with homework and movement after dark. We look at what portable light means at home, the schools still without electricity, and the administrative obstacles facing our next import of lamps.
A Place for Joy, Made by Their Own Hands
In Haray, three children share a toy made from branches. We photographed them while installing electricity at a school and providing medical care. Their joy belongs in the story, alongside scarce water, fragile health and family means that put bought toys and birthday cakes out of reach.
Learning What Belongs on the Plate
At SDN Ndata, a little boy explores an illustrated meal with our volunteers Rambu Maris and Umbu Kenzi. Two posters open a conversation about food, cost and variety, linking classroom learning with local produce, vegetable gardens and the water families need to grow more of their own food.
A Small Blood Sample, a Moment of Care
A mother holds her infant as our team takes a blood sample. In eastern Indonesia, malaria screening sits alongside year-round prevention. Before the rains, our Kawan Sehat workers use two illustrated posters to discuss symptoms, mosquito protection and when families need to seek care.
Where a Poster Becomes a Conversation
In Bidi Hunga, Erwin gathers residents around our original health posters. Tobacco, alcohol, food and malaria become subjects for questions and role-play. These workshops make prevention part of community care, with practical explanations that respect daily realities and complement treatment.
A Stethoscope, Sixteen Cards and Care to Take Home
In Bidi Hunga, a doctor examines a child beside our new health cards. Around one hundred patients attended the 24 October care day. The cards help families choose practical steps for daily health, extending the consultation without replacing medicines or further care when they are needed.
The Faces Behind a Malaria Test
A girl watches the hands supporting her own during a rapid malaria test. Women and young children sit close behind. In East Sumba, our work connects this careful clinical gesture with clear advice, timely treatment and the practical challenge of reaching the next important stage of care.
Where Waingapu Comes to Run, Health Questions Find a Place
Beside a popular jogging trail in Waingapu, our new HIV and waste billboards meet people during their evening routine. Some young people thanked the team. Alex walked three kilometres here, reflecting on how public health messages can open a conversation without demanding a personal disclosure.
World Food Day in East Sumba, Where a Healthy Meal Needs More Than Food
For World Food Day, a shared village meal in East Sumba brings us back to what children need every day. Fair Future connects nutrition education for children and parents with safe water, sanitation and local care, while recognising the pressures of poverty and a changing climate.
Three Children on a Kerbau and the Daily Journey for Water in East Sumba
Three children ride a kerbau as their mother leads it to collect water in East Sumba. Alex reflects on the limited quantities some families can obtain, bathing without running water, and the place of reliable water access in health, hygiene, menstrual dignity and everyday childhood.
Eight Children, a New Reservoir and Water for Schoolchildren in East Sumba
Eight children stand beside a newly finished reservoir in East Sumba. Their school previously had neither water nor toilets and still has no electricity. Water Connections links access to water with practical health and nutrition education. Dozens more reservoirs are still needed.
Community Care in East Sumba Depends on Reliable Access to Medicines
At a school in southern East Sumba, doctors meet patients during a community care day. Alex describes essential medicine needs and local puskesmas requests for supplies. The work connects patient assessment with practical education on water, hygiene and nutrition for rural families.
