From the field in East Sumba. Medical care, clean water, prevention and community health where access remains difficult.
Donate
Support Care
Articles & News
Field stories
Glossary
Field guides
Health & Medical Program
Kawan Sehat Agents
Trained women and men providing first-line care, prevention, follow-up and early referral inside their own remote communities.
- 27 active health agents
- 700 to 1,000 patients supported each month
- Medicines and supplies restocked every two months
Care begins with someone the village already knows
When a child develops a fever or a wound begins to worsen, the first safe decision often happens at home. Kawan Sehat agents bring trained observation, basic care and a clear referral pathway into communities where formal services remain hours away.
The programme
Local knowledge, structured clinical responsibility
In an isolated village, proximity matters. So do training, clinical limits and the ability to recognise when a patient needs more than community care.
In Lahiru, Desiana brings practical health education into Posyandu care, discussing prevention with children and adults.
Kawan Sehat agents live in or close to the communities they serve. They know the paths, families, languages and practical barriers that shape a patient’s decision to seek care. This trust makes earlier contact possible, but trust alone is not enough. Their work is organised through defined protocols, medical supervision and documented follow-up.
They are not doctors and they do not replace public health centres. They provide approved first-line care, health education and practical support while recognising danger signs and connecting patients to a higher level of care.
Women and men trained to serve communities where routine care remains difficult to reach.
Assessment, approved treatment, prevention, follow-up and referral delivered through the programme.
A 150-page field manual structures knowledge, clinical limits, prevention and safe decisions.
Medicines, dressings and basic diagnostic supplies are reviewed and replenished in the field.
From first contact to follow-up
How an agent supports a patient
The agent’s role is not simply to hand out medicine. Each contact must lead from careful listening to a proportionate decision, a written record and a plan for what happens next.
Listen
The agent hears what has changed, how long it has lasted and what the family has already tried.
Assess
Symptoms, temperature, available vital signs and visible danger signs are checked within the agent’s training.
Decide safely
Approved first-line care is given when appropriate. Severe, uncertain or worsening cases are referred.
Document
Findings, care and referral information are recorded so the next clinical decision begins with evidence.
Return
The agent checks progress, reinforces prevention and contacts the medical team when recovery is not following the expected course.
Clinical boundaries matter
Close enough to act, trained to know the limit
Proximity becomes useful only when it is safe. Kawan Sehat agents work within defined protocols and refer whenever severity, uncertainty or missing resources make local care inappropriate.
What agents can do
- Listen, observe and assess common symptoms and available vital signs
- Clean and dress superficial, uncomplicated wounds
- Provide protocol-approved first-line medicines and oral rehydration
- Support uncomplicated fever, respiratory, skin and digestive complaints
- Monitor children, older people and patients living with chronic conditions
- Teach hygiene, nutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and infection prevention
When agents refer
- Breathing difficulty, altered consciousness, shock or severe dehydration
- Suspected sepsis, severe infection or rapidly worsening illness
- Major trauma, deep wounds, burns or suspected fracture
- Pregnancy complications or danger signs in a mother or newborn
- Possible tuberculosis, leprosy, HIV or another condition requiring testing
- Any situation beyond available skills, protocols, medicines or diagnostic capacity
Mira studies a reusable HIV prevention and testing poster during Kawan Sehat training in East Sumba. The material is designed to be carried back into villages and used in local health education.
The system behind each agent
Training turns proximity into safe action
Community knowledge makes contact possible. Structured training makes that contact clinically useful. Agents learn through practical modules, supervised exercises, case review and repeated field support. Their tools are designed for places where connectivity, transport and formal services are limited.
Field manual
Fourteen modules across 150 pages cover first-line care, prevention, danger signs and responsible limits.
Supervised practice
Training, case discussion and field visits help translate written protocols into safer decisions.
Medical backpack
Approved medicines, dressings, basic diagnostics and education materials are organised for home visits.
Kawan Sehat app
Offline and online records support follow-up, review and a clearer picture of health needs across villages.
What changes in practice
A trained neighbour can shorten a dangerous delay
A recognisable first contact
Families can speak with someone they know before distance, cost or uncertainty turns a treatable problem into an emergency.
Earlier clinical warning
Changes in consciousness, breathing, hydration, infection or pregnancy can be recognised and referred sooner.
Prevention in local language
Health education happens during visits, in schools and inside homes, connected to the risks people meet each day.
Records connect visits
Documented findings and follow-up allow the medical team to review decisions and identify recurring problems.
Programme reportPrimary Medical Care: 2024 reportRead the activities, field results and lessons from the programme that supports the agents.
Care systemPrimary Medical CareSee how agents, medical supervision, medicines, referral and prevention work as one field system.
Field toolsDigital tools for rural careUnderstand how offline records support case documentation, follow-up and programme evidence.
PeopleWho are the Kawan Sehat?Meet the women and men who carry care, prevention and practical knowledge into their villages.
Live field recordField Notes from Eastern IndonesiaFollow short, dated updates from training, home visits, medical outreach and prevention work.
Field guide & glossaryHealth and care, explainedExplore clinical terms and practical guides grounded in work inside remote communities.
Medical referencePrimary health careRead the international framework connecting accessible care, prevention and community participation.
Live from the field
Kawan Sehat Field Notes, as the work happens
Two recent signals involving community agents, home care, prevention or training. These notes refresh when a relevant Field Note is published.
Directly from the field
Latest Kawan Sehat reports
These reports document home visits, clinical training, prevention, medicine supply, patient follow-up and the limits agents meet inside remote villages.
Primary Medical Care: 2024 Report Highlights
In 2024, Fair Future’s PMC Program significantly improved ultra-rural communities by offering essential healthcare services, education, and life-saving solutions. This initiative addresses the severe shortage of medical resources in remote areas with limited access to basic health facilities and trained personnel.
A Book That Saves Lives in Rural Areas
The Primary Medical Care training book gives rural health agents practical guidance on first aid, common illnesses and urgent situations where professional medical care is far away.
New Narration Guide Enhances Kawan Sehat Book Impact
To enhance the impact of the Kawan Sehat book, we’ve created a narration guide for users. This method ensures its messages are effectively communicated to children, parents, and ultra-rural communities. The guide maximizes the book’s potential to inspire and educate, bringing valuable knowledge to those who need it most.
Kawan Sehat: Vital Medical Care in Tough Terrain
Rambu Veronika, a health agent with Kawan Sehat, courageously navigates steep and hazardous trails to deliver essential medical care to the remote villages of East Sumba. Her commitment underscores the remarkable efforts of volunteers who save lives daily despite challenging conditions.
Sharing Life-Saving Medical Advice Online and Offline
The Primary Medical Care program focuses on disseminating medical guidance. We offer straightforward, practical advice to Kawan Sehat agents, who then relay it to rural communities. Now, we’re also sharing this information on Instagram (@fairfuturefoundation) and our website. These tips have the potential to save lives—help us spread the word!
Ruth’s Smile: Healing Children with Primary Care
Ruth, a Kawan Sehat health agent in Lukukamaru, supports a sick child with local primary care in a village where professional medical services are difficult to reach.
Kawan Sehat Saves Boy’s Foot from Serious Infection
In Lahiru, Kawan Sehat agent Ibu Sarlota treats a boy’s serious foot injury early, showing why timely wound care and follow-up matter in remote villages.
Kawan Sehat: Health Workers Bring Care to Rural Indonesia
Kawan Sehat healthcare workers provide vital medical services and education to remote villages in Indonesia. Through photos showcasing their resilience and life-saving commitment, this article emphasizes their essential role in underserved communities and the impact of grassroots healthcare initiatives.
Kawan Sehat Agent Tirza Presents Life-Saving Field Work
Kawan Sehat agent Tirza presents the contents of her medical backpack and explains how community-based primary care supports remote East Sumba villages.
Kawan Sehat Health Agents: Lifesaving Work in Rural Areas
Kawan Sehat health agents deliver essential medical care in remote regions where healthcare access is unavailable. Armed with new medical kits, they provide vital first aid, treat common illnesses, and work to prevent infections in vulnerable communities.
Kawan Sehat App Revolutionizes Rural Health Care Access
The Kawan Sehat app helps rural health agents record patient data, consult medical resources and work offline in remote East Sumba communities with limited connectivity.
Kawan Sehat Health Agents Certified in Rural Sumba
In the remote communities of East Sumba, 20 new Kawan Sehat health agents have been certified through the Primary Medical Care program. These 19 women and one man are now essential providers of life-saving care in their villages, which lack formal healthcare facilities. Their dedication and increasing proficiency are crucial for the well-being of their communities, representing a significant milestone in rural healthcare.
Accountability
Community care must remain trained, supervised and reviewable
Trust is essential, but it cannot replace evidence. We document care, referrals, medicines, training, follow-up and field limitations. Cases can be reviewed, supplies can be traced and unsafe practices must be corrected.
