Projects

Our Current Projects for Community Development

Child Development Centre

The children gathered today have just been told they would receive milk after their lesson! They were so excited!

But not so much about the milk, they were excited to have a teacher! They live 3 hours by boat from the nearest township, and 50% have no opportunity to progress past elementary school. IFS has been on the search for a quality teacher for these children, and a wonderful Indonesian couple answered the request. This dedicated, loving couple designed our Child Development Center and now teaches some 80 children and teenagers lessons of math, English, and hygiene every day. After their lessons, the kids receive a nutritious meal; a rare thing for them to enjoy. There are currently 150 more children waiting to be enrolled in the CDC, but the resources are not there yet. We ask you to get involved with this ministry, to help these precious children have a better future. Their lives are not only directly improved, but they also carry their lessons home to their families, where the knowledge is passed on again.

Agricultural Projects

Our IFS exploratory team discovered a primary theme that strains local family relationships, making life difficult and burdening.

Most of the fathers must travel many hours away to the big city for work, returning to their homes only a few days per month. But the local village land is wonderfully fertile, and with training from our team and local leadership, the men can easily build their own farms and projects, putting their manpower investment into their own families and village, then reaching out to their next-door neighbors for trade and fellowship. Our teacher/camp director is degreed in agriculture/animal husbandry, which makes him a local expert and highly sought after for his agriculture advice. His model farm has become a popular teaching tool in the area, drawing visitors that work side-by-side with his team, learning the farm and livestock trade, and also learning the heart of those that care for “the least of these”. A nearby local village has become excited about starting their own farming project and has donated 60 acres of land and 2 ponds for catfish farming, which will be cultivated when the financial and manpower resources are found.

Water Project

In West Borneo, the river is the highway, and the Kapuas River is one of the longest rivers in the world.

It affects the lives of some 500,000 people along its banks, connecting cities and villages, providing daily water needs for cooking, bathing, washing, and sanitation. But it is also hygienically unsafe, especially for children. IFS initiated a water pilot program in 2011, providing a simple and affordable community water treatment system to promote health and clean water. Embedded in this project, is one-on-one Community Health education about proper sanitation, and the importance of hygiene for family health. We love seeing the families gather around the clean water. It’s a hands-on source of new hope and a new way for them. This project is easily reproducible and with support can be offered to many other villages in the region.

Medical

Medical Teams are a mainstay of IFS service. We have partnered with doctors and nurses from all over the country, sending out nearly 700 people to suffering countries of the world.

And for every medically trained team member, we need 1 non-medical team member. So come join us! We’ll give you a task, and teach you exactly how to do it. We’re 100% volunteers, and we’ll show you how to raise your money. We do this a lot—ask us how. Not sure about joining a medical team? Can you speak English? If yes, then you’re qualified to teach in our CDC while the medical team goes out each day. Again, we’ll show you how. It’s what we do. Don’t say “no” because of fear, and don’t say “no” because of money. We’re looking for doctors, nurses, PAs, nurse practitioners, dentists, dental students, and many other fields of medical expertise. Love is bigger than both.

Listen to these testimonials

Alicia

My trip to Indonesia broke my heart, brought me indescribable joy, and forever changed my perspective on life and human necessities. As a medical student, my trip allowed me to share the education and training with which I’ve been blessed, with a people who have no access to healthcare. Many of these warm-hearted, loving people received health screenings and health education for the first time, and I was honoured to have been a part of a team that poured themselves out completely, to show love and compassion to others. I went to give to others, but I received so much more than I expected. It wasn’t just 10 days in the jungle changing others lives—in the long run, it was my life that was changed.

Lisa

This is truly an opportunity to use your medical skills in a perfect combination of healing the sick, and giving back to community. The villages are so grateful for our help, and the fact that we had travelled from across the world, was very special to them. We felt a special connection with every patient, no matter what their religion or belief system. At the end of the first clinic, I knew that my gifts and training were being used in a way that I don’t always experience back home. Now I know why I was called to the medical field.

Our Vision is Realistic

By building on our past successes and establishing strategic priorities, we will have the foundation to become stronger and more efficient than ever.

HELP BY DONATING TODAY

At International Friendship Summit, we are working to create hope and the opportunity for a better world. But we can only do it with your help. Join us in our mission and donate now.