It took the death of one child to immunize the next

Junaedah, Kosir and Baby Mohammad Faqih: “My baby is now ready-to-go-to war against diseases.”

Junaedah’s only daughter, Soliha, would have been 5 years old now had she lived. But like too many children in Indonesia, little Soliha died at just 3 months old, from a disease she could have easily been protected from.

Her death has not been for nothing, though. The little girl’s passing helped spur Junaedah, also known as Juju, and her husband Kosir, to immunize the youngest of their six children, Mohammad Faqih.

Juju says she has already seen the difference between Mohammad Faqih and his older brothers who weren’t immunized.

“My other children were small and skinny, different from this little boy who is chubby and healthy: immune and rarely sick,” says Juju, who hails from Kluwut village in the District of Brebes, Central Java, Indonesia.

Preventing child neglect and exploitation through family development sessions

By: Astrid Gonzaga Dionisio, Child Protection Specialist

Yogyakarta, June 2014 - When I attended a discussion on child protection in Yogyakarta recently, one of the participants really stood out.

Ibu Prihatin is a mother of three and a graduate of junior high school from Kulon Progo District. She understands very well what is needed to provide her children with all the support they need to succeed in school – and she loves to talk about it.

“We have to make sure they have breakfast in the morning and that their uniforms are clean and in order,” she said when participants were asked to discuss how to prevent neglect.

Ibu Prihatin has been participating in the Family Hope Programme (PKH - Program Keluarga Harapan) since 2008. Through the programme, the Indonesian government provides conditional cash transfers to the poorest families to improve their access to health and education services.