Monthly Update
Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well. Welcome back to our monthly update! For those of you who have been following along, you might sometimes feel a little bored since we often share similar updates each month. But please bear with us 😊🙏
As I mentioned earlier, I completely understand why these updates may feel repetitive. They are always about the three children receiving their monthly assistance. For us, however, this is very important.
Why do we write these updates each month?
To keep a record of our project’s history.
By publishing an article every month, we can easily track the progress of our work. Without the blog, we might forget important details, for example, when Riche joined us, or the month and year Novi started receiving assistance. These records matter.
To evaluate the project’s progress.
Each month gives us a chance to reflect and adjust. Sometimes we change the way we distribute the funds. For instance, at first, my dear friend Riche personally visited the children’s homes by motorcycle to deliver the money. Later, we decided that the children should collect their assistance directly from Riche’s house. At other times, we’ve discussed whether or not to cut off additional support.
Because of these reasons, I will continue writing monthly updates. They may seem simple, but they help us stay organized, accountable, and thoughtful about the project’s future.
Sustaining the Ichikraft SG Program
Some of you might wonder, “After all these years, shouldn’t you expand the Ichikraft SG program?” The truth is, this project began as a small initiative by just a few people, and the funding has always come directly from our own pockets.
Several years ago, we did receive donations from kind people, and we documented those contributions by publishing articles and simple reports. However, since then, we have continued the journey on our own, funding the project ourselves. For now, this means we can only assist three children.
Finding trusted people to work alongside us has not been easy. In the past, I invited relatives and friends to join the project, believing that with more people involved, we could grow and help many more children. Unfortunately, they had different perspectives, and since there were no personal benefits, they withdrew. As a result, my husband and I decided to carry out the initiative ourselves.
Now, we are deeply grateful that the project has been sustained for over a decade. One of the children who received monthly assistance has already graduated and found a job. I am truly happy and proud of this achievement.
What matters most to us is ensuring that the assistance remains sustainable in the long term. Our commitment is to provide monthly support for the children’s education, from primary school until they graduate from high school. This is, and always will be, the heart of our project.
January 2026 Update
On Tuesday, 20 January 2026, my dearest friend Riche sent me a message in the evening to let me know that Uun, Suci, and Arfan had received their monthly assistance. The three children came to Riche’s house together, which I believe was the first time they collected their support at the same time. I was happy to hear that they are in good health, and I hope their families are doing well too.
Uun and Suci each received IDR 300,000, while Arfan received IDR 125,000. In addition, all three children received IDR 100,000 to support their families. This extra support was originally introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, but even after the pandemic ended, we decided to continue providing it to help ease their family’s burden.
I truly hope that our small contribution can open doors of opportunity for children from low-income families, helping them build a better future and break free from the cycle of poverty. At the very least, we aim to support them until they graduate from high school and are able to find a job. If they choose to continue their studies at university, having a high school certificate will give them the chance to pursue higher education someday.
Lastly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my dear friend Riche, who has dedicated her time and effort to help distribute the monthly assistance. I am deeply thankful to have her as part of our little team.
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti