In August 2024, after more than six decades of humanitarian work in Indonesia, Church World Service’s presence transformed into something new: Yayasan Cita Wadah Swadaya (YCWS), an Indonesian, faith-based foundation built on inherited trust and long-standing partnerships.
At YCWS, we did not start from zero. As an Indonesian foundation, we stand on more than sixty years of credibility earned alongside refugees, communities hit by disasters, and villages on the frontline of the climate crisis. That inheritance is now our mandate: we are here to ensure that humanitarian work in Indonesia is led, owned, and sustained by Indonesians themselves.
As a faith-based foundation, we express our faith through action: standing with people in their hardest moments and protecting their dignity. From this commitment flow three interconnected areas of work:
- Refugee Protection
- Disaster Preparedness & Response
- Climate Resilience
In our first year as YCWS, we walked alongside more than 1,350 people across three provinces. At the centre of this work is refugee protection. Our teams provided 430+ health consultations – including HIV services and mental health support – and supported 233 refugees and asylum seekers with safe accommodation and ongoing case management. We also delivered cash assistance to 785 people, helping families cover urgent needs with dignity. For nearly 100 women and girls at risk, this support meant protection, specialised counselling, and concrete pathways toward greater safety and independence.
Beyond refugee protection, we worked with communities not only to respond to crises, but to prepare for them. In Makassar, community-led teams coordinated flood evacuations, ran public kitchens, and worked side by side with city authorities during emergencies. In East Nusa Tenggara, we launched I-CREATE, a three-year initiative to strengthen early warning systems in 13 flood-prone villages. Along the way, 452 residents joined climate awareness sessions and 102 village leaders helped shape local resilience action plans that they themselves will drive forward.
Humanitarian action is changing it must localise and return real power to communities. YCWS is where a long-standing legacy becomes a local mandate.
