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A backpack to provide care where there is nothing.
👋 Hello, it's me, Alex. I'm writing to you today from a remote village, with the sound of the wind in my head and heart. I wanted to share a story of care and dignity from a backpack... medical!
Previously, our medical kits fit in a simple plastic box.
That was already a step. But since then, that box has evolved into a more human and mobile form: a medical backpack. Hand-sewn from recycled fabrics, designed by us, and crafted by a young tailor from Sumatra, seated on the ground with a smile on his face, he is proud to contribute to something great, even without fully understanding everything.
This backpack is the beating heart of our Primary Medical Care program, active in the most remote areas of eastern Indonesia. There are no doctors, health centres, roads, or electricity. Yet, people live there, with children, pain, fevers, injuries, complicated deliveries...
 Today, 21 extraordinary women (and one man, Josef) carry these bags. We call them the "healthy friends," Kawan Sehat Health Agents. If we can, we plan to increase their number soon.
They are not doctors, but they provide care. They are not registered nurses, but they bandage, comfort, and explain. They are trained by us, supported by the entire team, and, above all, recognised by their communities. They become someone. People knock on their doors—even when there is no door—because they have become indispensable, terribly indispensable!
And behind their backs is this bag.
It contains a rigorous selection of essential medications: painkillers (paracetamol, ibuprofen, and other derivatives), antipyretics, antihistamines, topical antibiotics, antifungal creams, digestive treatments, vitamins, and some symptomatic treatments for the flu, coughs, or diarrhoea and a few others.
It also includes medical supplies such as disinfectants, bandages, compresses, adhesive tape, gloves, a thermometer, an ear syringe, medical scissors, forceps, a mask, medicine bags, and rapid diagnostic kits for malaria. Additionally, there are instruments like a thermometer, a blood pressure monitor, scissors, and gloves. Above all, there is knowledge: nine fabric posters that can be hung on the walls to discuss health, hygiene, and prevention in a simple, visual, and nonjudgmental manner.
ℹ️ If you're interested in seeing the exact list, you can see it here.
 Let's consider an example: a child accidentally cuts off his foot with a machete. Without intervention, the wound becomes infected, the fever rises, and the infection spreads. There is no doctor available. However, a health worker named Kawan Sehat arrives. She retrieves some supplies from her medical backpack, cleans the wound, disinfects it, and monitors its progress. She prevents sepsis, saving his leg and life.
This backpack is not trivial. It saves lives in the strictest sense. It prevents complications, reassures, and treats. Without it, how many children, women, and the elderly would die of preventable causes? An untreated infection, diarrhoea in an infant, an untreated asthma attack, a poorly controlled fever in this region where malaria is endemic—the medical backpack addresses all these issues.
For these women, this bag serves as soft armour.
It symbolises the trust we place in them. It truly elevates their status. They stand taller and become advocates in public health, in places where no one else ventures. This is also what care embodies: empowering those who are present.
This medical backpack, adorned with a stitched red cross, represents a simple yet impactful idea. It serves as both a pharmacy and a hospital, reaching out to those in need. Its reach extends very far.
🌻 Thank you for your support, for believing in our mission, and for enabling us to accomplish so much with so little every day. I salute each of you, wherever you are. Alex Wettstein
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