USAID Provides $2 Million for Inclusive Education in Indonesia

Helen Keller International and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a $2 million agreement to strengthen education for children in Indonesia with special needs.

Over the next two years, USAID-HKI's “Opportunities for Vulnerable Children” (OVC) program will work in Jakarta to strengthen the management and teaching capacity of government counterparts to provide higher quality, inclusive education to children through the development of policy and educational programs that improve access to local schools and opportunities for children. The program builds on pilot activities, including the Early Intervention Center opened by President Yudhoyono.

Since the early 1980’s, HKI has pioneered rehabilitation and education programs for students with visual impairments in Indonesia. HKI created a model that can be expanded and adapted to serve other disabled and disenfranchised populations. In 2003, HKI's OVC program was developed, thanks to funding from USAID, to help increase the Government of Indonesia's capacity to serve children with visual impairments and other special needs. The program also designs and implements training, helps develop academic curricula, and provides facility enhancements to schools.

The Opportunities of Vulnerable Children Program is part of President Bush’s $157 million education initiative to improve the quality of education in Indonesia. Under this initiative, USAID is working in 1,000 schools throughout Java, South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, and Aceh to strengthen the management and governance of education, enhance the quality of teaching and learning to improve student performance, and provide relevant work and life skills for youth so that they can better compete for jobs in the future.