Life

Embracing
Overview & 2021 Report
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

EMBRACING LIFE
A Message from the Executive Director p.4

About Us p.6
a. Our Vision and Mission p.6
b. Our Priorities p.9
c. Our Leadership p.10
d. Our Staff and Teams p.11
e. How We Work p.13

Our Work p.14

a. LIFE p.15
b. Roshan Learning Center p.20
c. Bersama p.26

Our Partners p.32

Our Finances p.35

Appendix 1 — Roshan p.39

Appendix 2 — Bersama p.43

CONTENT DIRECTION, W R ITE R S / E D ITO R S P H OTO G R A P H Y

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

ED ITI NG, & PROJ ECT Ariane Alana Niko Solihin

MANAGEMENT Caitlin Howe Sabda Rhamadhoni
Joy Lee Joy Lee (unsplash.com, cover photo)
Joyce Hiendarto Julie Washburn Sajjad Alizada
Novi Sutijono Volunteer Photographers
Sheri Lohardjo
DESIGN
William J. Hiendarto
(wjhiendarto.com)

p. 2
 “Life is either a daring adventure
or nothing at all.”
― Helen Keller

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be

understood. Now is the time to understand
more, so that we may fear less.”
– Marie Curie

“If you aren’t in over your head,

how do you know how tall you are?”
― T.S. Eliot
 EMBRACING LIFE
A message from
the Executive
Director

Here we are! While most people may describe 2021 as “the

second year of the pandemic,” it was much more than that
for us. It was the year we embraced life and sought to learn
and grow through all that it brings.

Embracing Farewells, with Gratitude Embracing Uncertainty, with Resolve

In Roshan, we often say to our refugee friends that In July, Indonesia overtook India as the global
“we love you so much, we want to see you go.” epicenter of the deadly delta variant surge that
Across both Roshan and Bersama communities, swept across the world. In August, we grieved as
we said bittersweet farewells to refugee friends we witnessed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, a
and families as the doors of resettlement or other home country to over 50% of refugees in Indonesia.
pathways finally opened to them. In May, we also Despite the looming uncertainties brought about
bid farewell to a beloved colleague, Brandon by these events, we strengthened our resolve
Baughn, who served as Roshan Program Director to keep moving forward. The LIFE team pressed
for four years, as his family transitioned back to the through 2021 with in-person activities, and boldly
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

US. We let go, overflowing with gratitude for the opened a new, sixth preschool center in August,
many good people that pass through our doors and to keep learning accessible for over 400 children
knowing that they remain a part of our “extended” in waste-picker communities. Even with leadership
family through the stories and encouragement we transitions, the Roshan team diligently steered
continue to exchange across time zones. over 150 students through a second year of remote
learning. Meanwhile, the YICF team recruited two
new colleagues, Caitlin Howe and Jane Lee, who
overcame many logistical hurdles and made their
way to Jakarta from the US.

p.4
Embracing the Lulls, with Patience We entered 2021 with a sense of curiosity and

EMBRACING LIFE
humility, recognizing that the year ahead may be
For our Bersama program, 2021 was perhaps the more challenging than the previous. In many ways,
toughest year as the volume of data labeling work this turned out to be true. Yet, we embraced what
flowing to our community dropped dramatically, life brought our way, and emerged with an even
affecting our 80+ Indonesian and refugee deeper sense of gratitude, resolve, and patience.
participants both economically and mentally. We kept our eyes fixed on our mission, ending the
Yet, the team remained empathetic, patient and year with nearly 700 participants from some of
dedicated to doing what was possible each day: the most underserved communities in Jakarta, all
personally reaching out to community members, moving steadily toward brighter futures through
keeping all learning activities running, and Roshan, LIFE, or Bersama. And we never could
delivering exceptional performance in data labeling have done this without the many partners and
projects, no matter how few or small. supporters who continued to pour generously into
our lives and work throughout the year.

Whether you are a partner, participant, volunteer,

or staff member: thank you for embracing and
sharing life with us. We cannot wait to see where
" ... we embraced this journey leads in 2022.

what life brought our

way, and emerged
with an even deeper
sense of gratitude,
resolve, & patience."

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Joy Lee
Executive Director

p.5
 EMBRACING LIFE
About Us

Our Vision

We envision cities where all people flourish

and multiply good works.
Rooted in Jakarta, Indonesia - one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world -
we long to see all people experience greater levels of human flourishing and in turn,
become multipliers of good works in their own neighborhoods and communities.
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Our Mission

Our mission is to help people experience

and share the joy of learning, the dignity of
vocation, and strength through community.

p.6
YICF is a vibrant We create opportunities for people, regardless of

EMBRACING LIFE
circumstances, to learn, work, and become agents

group of initiatives of kindness and compassion. Our programs work

with different groups of people who are overcoming

that transform lives significant barriers to live out their full potential. Our
participants include resilient refugees and asylum

through education, seekers of all ages, children of hard-working waste-

pickers at Bantar Gebang, and young adults eager to

vocation, and find meaningful work.

community. We also empower and mobilize everyday people

and partners who want to do good with us. We
invite schools and teachers, businesses and
businesspeople, faith communities, embassy
workers, and others to participate as fellow learners,
colleagues, and collaborators.

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p.7
 EMBRACING LIFE
As of December 2021,
over 400 Indonesians and
200 refugees participating
in YICF programs

LIFE (est. 2012)

Early childhood education and after school
activities for 400+ children and youth in waste-
picker/slum communities in East Jakarta.

Roshan (est. 2014)

Community driven education for over 150
refugee students ages 3 and above in greater
Jakarta.
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Bersama (est. 2019)

Vocational program facilitating online work and
professional development opportunities for 90
young adult refugees and Indonesians.

p.8
Our Priorities (2021-2023)

EMBRACING LIFE
01.

Create and Advance Opportunities

We will continue creating and advancing educational and vocational opportunities
for underserved communities in greater Jakarta. Through our programs and
initiatives, we strive to provide:
• quality learning / work experiences.
• safe and supportive communities.
• viable pathways to tangible, practical outcomes.

We want to see children, youth and adults applying their full potential and moving
forward in life, regardless of their circumstances.

02.

Empower People and Leaders

We will intentionally empower people and leaders to participate in good works.
We will:
• facilitate formational service and growth opportunities for our volunteers
and staff.
• invest in equipping and developing leaders across our organization for long-
term sustainability.

We want to see our volunteers and staff growing in competence, character, and
sense of calling as they support others to flourish.

03.

Develop an Ecosystem
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

We will develop our relationships and networks into an ecosystem that multiplies
compassion and good works in greater Jakarta. We will:
• continue to build strategic partnerships and facilitate collaboration among
like-minded groups.
• encourage like-minded groups and initiatives by developing and offering our
insights, expertise, resources, and connections.

We want to be a refreshing presence and trusted partner of choice in Jakarta’s

emerging philanthropic scene.

p.9
Our Leadership - as of January 2022

EMBRACING LIFE
Our leadership comes from an international team of men and women who have a shared passion for
empowering people through education and vocation. We are specialists and experts from different fields
who recognize that we have greater value-added when we collaborate both with each other and the people
we serve.

Board of Trustees

LU KAS KAI LI MANG H E AT H E R B I G G A R A S H L E Y B E R RY H I L L MIKE BROOMELL

Chair​​ TO M L I N S O N , P H D Board Member & Roshan Board Member
Board Member & Roshan Co-Founder
K-SES Strategic Colliers International
Founding Director
Education Solutions First Baptist Church Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia The World Bank of Arlington Jakarta, Indonesia
Washington, DC, USA Arlington, TX, USA

Senior Leadership Team

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

J OY L E E J OYC E H I E N DA R TO YUSUP LIFIRE C A I T L I N H OW E

YICF Executive Director & YICF Director of LIFE Program Director Roshan Program Director
Acting Bersama Program Communications and Founder
Jakarta, Indonesia
Director & Organizational
Jakarta, Indonesia
Development
Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia

p.10
Our Staff and Teams - as of December 2021

EMBRACING LIFE
People remain the primary engine behind all that
we do, and we are truly fortunate to have a strong
network of mission-driven people that continue to
pour into our work. Including our
We ended the year with 24 staff members across our Roshan volunteer
teams serving as the “backbone” of our operations.
In line with our priority to empower people to base, 105 people
serve and lead, we also continued to train, mentor,
and develop 31 individuals involved as interns, from at least
apprentices or trainees.
6 nationalities
contributed to
our operations &
programs.

TOTA L
U N I T \\ R O L E S YICF Roshan LIFE Bersama
BY R O L E S

Staff Members
3 1 0* 9 2 24
(Full & part-time)

Consultants/
0 0 0 2 2
Contractors

Interns/ Apprentices/
2 1 5* * 12 2 31
Trainees

Volunteers 3 4 5* * * 0 0 48
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

TOTA L BY U N I T 8 70 21 6 105

* Includes 4 refugee volunteer staff serving on the program leadership team

** Includes 9 refugee volunteers serving as teaching apprentices in the Roshan Foundations program.
*** Excludes 19 volunteers already counted under other roles.

p.11
Y I C F O R GA N I Z AT I O N A L S T R U C T U R E

EMBRACING LIFE
YICF

Board of Trustees

Director of Communications &

Executive Director
Organizational Development

Communications Team Accounting & HR

& Volunteers (outsourced)

LIFE Roshan Bersama

Program Director Program Director Acting Program Director

Program Team Program Team & Volunteers Program Team

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p.12
How We Work

EMBRACING LIFE
YICF functions as an umbrella organization for initiatives that align with the YICF vision and mission. Through
a shared service model, our YICF team works closely with program staff and leaders to add value and meet
the organizational needs of each program. Shared services provided by YICF include:

Legal compliance

Accounting, Communications,
finance & HR fundraising &
donor relations

Partnership & program People & leadership

development support development
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p.13
 EMBRACING LIFE
Our Work

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

01. LIFE
02. Roshan
03. Bersama

p.14
 EMBRACING LIFE

01. Founded in 2012, LIFE focuses on helping children and youth

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

break out of generational cycles of poverty through early

childhood education, afterschool activities, and scholarships
for further education. An estimated 7,000 individuals and
3,000 families—many from a rural migrant background—live
and work as waste-pickers at Bantar Gebang, one of the
largest landfills in the world located east of Jakarta, Indonesia.
Waste picker families often have severely limited access to
education and social services due to low levels of literacy,
documentation issues, and social marginalization.

p.15
Dodi's* Story | Forging a Different Path

EMBRACING LIFE
When LIFE opened its first preschool in the Ciketing Through this simple but powerful routine, Dodi
Udik community in 2012, children rarely made it found the motivation to reach even further and
past primary school. Most would continue living in pursue vocational high school (SMK). However,
the shadows of the infamous Bantar Gebang landfill after a year of studies, it became clear his family
—massive trash mountains where they would join would not be able to afford the school fees, and
their parents and an estimated 7,000 waste pickers Dodi contemplated dropping out.
to scavenge and sort recyclable waste for 10-12
hours a day. To imagine a different life was difficult, After much prayer, however, Dodi took the initiative
and following in their parents’ footsteps was a more to share his situation with the LIFE high school
certain, predictable path that awaited them as they tutoring coordinator. Through conversation with
transitioned into youth and adulthood. Dodi and his parents, the program team recognized
an opportunity to partner with families and help
Yet, Dodi is forging a different path for himself. Like Bantar Gebang youth with this critical step of their
many of his neighborhood friends, Dodi was born education journeys. LIFE worked out a manageable
and raised in Ciketing, as a child of waste pickers cost-sharing agreement with his parents, and in
and the second of four siblings. As the LIFE program 2019, Dodi became the first recipient of a LIFE high
took root in Ciketing, hope, too, began to take root. school scholarship, paving the way for others. In
As a primary school student living just 10-15 meters 2021, ten more LIFE scholarship recipients started
from the LIFE center, Dodi began joining after-school their high school studies with similar cost-sharing
tutoring and activities. He found moral support and agreements.
encouragement from LIFE teachers who not only
helped him with homework, but also remained a In March 2022, Dodi will be celebrating the
steady presence in his life and community. completion of his studies in Locomotive Engineering.
More significant than the diploma is the fact that he
Dodi followed his older brother’s footsteps, now has plans to pursue higher education, support
making his way through primary school and onto his younger siblings’ education, and help his parents.
junior high school, eventually joining LIFE’s high He reflects, “May God always repay this kindness…
school tutoring. Every week, after school, he I am very happy because this year I will graduate
gathered with dozens of teens from other LIFE from SMK and my hope is that in the future, I can be
communities for tutoring and extracurricular successful in achieving my goals and dreams.”
activities - English lessons, sports, music, and art. OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

DODI*

*This name has

been changed
to respect the
privacy of this
individual.

p.16
Key Activities and Participants

EMBRACING LIFE
By December 2021,
LIFE was serving
approximately 400
children and youth
across 6 communities.

AC T I V I T Y # of Participants

Morning Preschool 91

Afterschool Activities for Primary School students (academic tutoring

250
and English)

Afterschool Tutoring & Activities for High School students (sports, music,
49
arts and craft, and English)

Total 390
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p.17
 EMBRACING LIFE
SCHOLARSHIPS # of Recipients

High School Scholarships

11
(cost-sharing with parents)

University Scholarships
1
(full tuition support)

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

# of Communities
AREA
/ Program Sites

Bantar Gebang landfill 5

East Jakarta 1

p.18
2021 LIFE Highlights

EMBRACING LIFE
For the LIFE program, 2021 invokes the image of “flourishing in the desert.” Amidst the ongoing logistical
challenges posed by the pandemic, LIFE took major steps forward as the program expanded to a new
community and experienced another year of rapid growth.

Relationships with families and students grew even deeper as our teachers and teams remained fully present
and kept activities running throughout the year. For many families, the care and attention extended by
LIFE was the only care and attention they experienced during the pandemic. It is fairly common for well-
meaning groups to conduct charitable activities with communities at Bantar Gebang, but less common to see
consistent engagement spanning over a decade – especially through a pandemic.

Inspired by the resilience and gratitude displayed by LIFE families, our teachers continued to step up and
serve with new levels of commitment, courage, and creativity. As we turned the corner to 2022, LIFE hosted
joyful year-end celebrations with an estimated 450-500 children and family members gathering across the
six program sites.

OV E R E X PA N S I O N

50
LIFE was invited to expand to a new community in the Bantar
Gebang area. LIFE constructed and opened what is now its

% largest preschool facility, hosting preschool and after school

activities in August 2021.
G R OW T H

F I R S T A N N U A L TA L E N T DAY

From 250 to 400+ LIFE participants celebrated their first annual talent day show in
participants early June. Over 150 children and their parents participated with
great enthusiasm to showcase their talents through flash quizzes,
musical performances, and reading performances.
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

10 NEW SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 1 2 T E AC H E R T R A I N E E S

The number of youth enrolling in high school Two new trainees joined the LIFE teacher training
through support from the LIFE scholarship fund program, while ten trainees from previous
jumped from 1 to 11. cohorts continued to receive further training and
hands-on experience with LIFE.

p.19
 EMBRACING LIFE

02. Established in 2014, Roshan is a safe learning space where

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

refugees in Jakarta find hope in community and pursue

brighter futures through education. Roshan meets a critical
gap as over 13,000 refugees in Indonesia wait indefinitely
for resettlement in another country, without access to
formal education in Indonesia, due to documentation and
legal barriers. Roshan has grown into a diverse learning
community of over 150 students of all ages and 70 volunteers
and staff members.

p. 20
Abolfazel’s story | A Simple Choice for a Brighter Future

EMBRACING LIFE
Education can be a complicated web of theory, However, Abolfazel is not the only family member
practice, logistics, and curriculum. Yet, for refugee experiencing the joy of learning. Abolfazel’s sister
families that have experienced more than their share and even his parents have all been Roshan students.
of challenges, education is the “simple” priority and When the children first enrolled, the parents were
focus. This was certainly the case for Abolfazel’s also able to take part in the Adult English classes.
father, who chose Roshan for his children time and They have truly become a Roshan family.
time again. Today, he sees his decision shining
through as he watches his son Abolfazel budding Finding stability has been tough for Abolfazel’s
with hope. family, especially during the pandemic. They have
stayed at home and tried to adapt to online classes,
Abolfazel started at Roshan in 2018 when he was social distancing, and less in-person connection
five years old. He was a typical young, energetic boy with friends. At times, they have even considered
and his teacher described him as “all over the place.” moving out of the city to places where others from
Abolfazel’s family had come to Indonesia from Afghanistan have settled and the cost of living is
Afghanistan and started off in a refugee camp for the cheaper. Yet, they continue to choose Roshan in
first three to four months. The time was very stressful pursuit of a brighter future. In fact, Abolfazel’s father
for the family as a whole. While staying in the camp, is confident when he says that staying in Jakarta for
Abolfazel’s father heard about Roshan from a friend the kids to go to Roshan is the only choice for him.
whose children were attending classes. As soon as He says, “My hope is to see what will happen and we
the family was able, they moved to Jakarta with the don’t have many choices that we can make for them.
clear-cut intention of getting their kids into Roshan. My children will never miss their classes because I
know that this will help them in the future…Like any
When first starting at Roshan, Abolfazel was so child, Abolfazel changes every hour with what he
nervous that he almost could not make it into the wants to do and what he wants to become and we
classroom. Now, four years later, Abolfazel has want to help him.”
matured, learned, and is always excited to be at
Roshan, especially for math class. When you ask For Abolfazel, his truths are also simple. “I just like
Abolfazel what he likes about school, he talks about to go to school. I like to learn something at school.
his friends in the classroom and his favorite teachers. Knowing about math. Math is my favorite. Roshan is
so good and it’s super fun and I just like Roshan.”
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

A B O L FA Z E L

Roshan Student

p. 21
Moon’s Story | “Give Me a Chance”

EMBRACING LIFE
The first few months of Moon’s life in Indonesia The first time Moon arrived at Roshan, classes
after coming from Iraq were full of new sounds, were already full of students and the team was
smells, and moves to find someplace for her family unsure where to put these two eager new young
to settle. Moon says it was stressful but she is so girls. “Please, I need to continue to learn,” Moon
glad that her family never had to go to a shelter. remembers saying to Ms. Ariane whom she met on
Moon was eight years old when her family first the first day. Moon remembers saying, “Give me
came to Indonesia, her older brother was thirteen, a chance, I can just sit outside of the classroom on
and her sister six. Moon remembers feeling scared the floor and take notes.” Her remarkable spirit and
and yelling out to God and asking for help. determination to keep learning were so clear that
she was soon admitted as a Secondary student.
After some time, Moon and her family pieced
together a life in Jakarta with the kids participating Five years later, Moon is still at Roshan teaching
in a homeschool program in their local community. middle school math and studying for her GED exams
When this ended abruptly in 2017, Moon was through the GED prep program. Along with family
desperate to keep learning but had no options. and community responsibilities, Moon remains
A year later during her weekly visit to the local dedicated and always tries to make it to class. Moon
mosque, her friend mentioned that they were has been known to create her schedule around
studying at a place called Roshan. They said it was Roshan activities and do everything in her power
“like a too-small house for refugees to learn at.” to make sure she never misses an opportunity to
Eager to get back into studying and learning, Moon, learn, teach, and grow.
her sister, and her mother boarded a bus early in
the morning the next week to see if they, too, could Like many others in the Roshan family, Moon has
study at Roshan. made the most out of her education at Roshan and
continues to give back with an inspiring sense of
The bus ride from Moon’s home takes 2-3 hours. patience and purpose. When you ask Moon what
Moon never imagined that she and her sister would helps her embrace her life in Indonesia, she says,
be taking such a long bus ride by themselves “My parents and siblings just remind each other to
regularly, but for her, it was all worth it. be patient and God is big. We are 100% sure that
God is preparing something good for us.”

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

MOON

Roshan Student
and Teacher

p. 22
Key Activities and Participants

EMBRACING LIFE
As of December 2021,
Roshan was serving 139
students across three
academic programs.

AC A D E M I C & L E A R N I N G New Students Active

PROGRAMS Students Served Students

Foundations
Daily classes for children ages 3 - 17, focused
24 63 52
on foundational literacy, numeracy and social
emotional skills

Elite Open School

An accredited blended learning program for grades 12 44 36
6-12, leading to a U.S. high school diploma.

GED Prep*
A test preparation program for adult students ages 18+, 27 65 51
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

leading to a U.S. GED high school equivalency diploma.

Adult ESL
Temporarily inactive
ESL classes ranging from literacy to intermediate levels
during pandemic
for parents, volunteers, and other adult students.

Total 63 172 139

p. 23
2021 Roshan Highlights

EMBRACING LIFE
Roshan entered 2021 with more questions than answers in mind. What would this year look like? Are we
ready for another year of remote learning? Another looming question was how our community and team
would adapt to the departure of Roshan’s much-beloved Program Director (Brandon Baughn), as his family
transitioned back to their home country in May. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan added yet another layer
of uncertainty and an unprecedented level of mental pressure on much of our refugee community members.
Throughout a significantly more challenging year, the Roshan community remained steadfast in their resolve
to serve and learn together. Students continued to overcome the many logistic al and mental hurdles to move
forward in their studies. Parents continued to share generous words of encouragement and gratitude with
staff and teachers. We slowed down and made space to grieve with our Afghan volunteers, students, and
families.

Meanwhile, the Roshan and YICF teams dove into the less glorious but necessary work of clarifying roles,
structure, and communication flows. The year was also marked with moments of celebration, as we welcomed
and received new Roshan team members from the U.S., and sent off friends who finally left for their new
home countries through resettlement or new pathways. As we held year-end gatherings both virtually and in
person, we found countless reasons to believe that a brighter future is always around the corner for Roshan.

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p. 24
 EMBRACING LIFE
24
N E W F O U N DAT I O N S S T U D E N T S

The Foundations program welcomed a

total of 24 new students in 2021, including
a record-breaking 22 new students in
August for the 2021/2022 academic
year. For the first time, Roshan was able
to clear out its waiting list, where some
families had waited up to several years to
join Roshan.

11 NEW ELITE OPEN SCHOOL 1 2 N E W G E D G R A D U AT E S

STUDENTS
Despite many delays in testing due to the
In 2021, the Elite Open School program pandemic, 12 young adults obtained their
welcomed 11 new middle school students GED diplomas, bringing the total cumulative
as they made the exciting transition from graduates to 29 since the program’s launch
Foundations into grades 7-8 in the Elite in late 2018. In addition, a total of 41 students
Open School system. This was the fourth and were able to pass at least one official exam
youngest cohort to join the program. within the year, drawing one step closer to
graduation in their respective GED journeys.

2 F I R S T H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N 1 6 R E F U G E E E D U C ATO R S
D E PA R T U R E S
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Sixteen refugee community members

Two Roshan GED graduates successfully gained valuable professional experience in
made their way from Indonesia to our partner teaching and student support roles across
university, LCC International University in Roshan academic programs. In addition,
Lithuania, starting new lives as international Roshan partnered with Church World
students. These are the first of hopefully Services to provide teacher training to 15
many departures. refugee teachers in other refugee learning
centers.

p. 25
 EMBRACING LIFE
Launched in 2019, Bersama is YICF’s first initiative serving
refugees and Indonesians together. Over 70% of the 13,000
refugees in Indonesia are working-age adults with no right to
local employment (UNHCR Indonesia, 2021). In addition, over
14% of Indonesian youth are unemployed and over 20% are

03.
not participating in any education, employment, or training
activities (ILO 2020, World Bank 2019).

Within this context, the mission of Bersama is to create

opportunities for young adult Indonesians and refugees to
“work, learn, and belong”:

• Work : Gain practical experience through remote,

freelance work*
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

• Learn : Grow in professionalism and work readiness

through mentorship and professional development
activities.
• Belong : Enjoy a sense of belonging through a diverse,
supportive community

Through corporate partnerships and a unique combination

of online work and parallel learning activities, Bersama helps
unemployed young adults prepare for employment, future
resettlement, or other vocational opportunities.

p. 26
Dimas’ Story | An Unexpected Journey

EMBRACING LIFE
Three years ago, Dimas would never have imagined When Dimas mentioned his love of art to Joy Lee,
where he would be today. Working in an administrative Bersama’s Acting Program Director, he was tasked
job and drawing on the side, he had no plans to leave with designing the Bersama office space by painting
his hometown of Padang nor pursue his passion for art. the walls. Together with Hassan, a new refugee friend
in the Bersama community, both of them got to work.
That changed after a visit from his uncle from Jakarta. He
realized he could no longer stay in Padang. Jakarta had After this first experience, Dimas was later entrusted
more career opportunities. Dimas’s mother wanted him with the opportunity to design Bersama’s logo. One
to secure a job first, but he was determined. Following thing that set the program apart was the strong
his uncle’s advice – and undeterred by his mother’s community aspect. “We have developed together
concerns – he soon found himself in a new city with no like family despite different backgrounds, traditions,
job, community, or professional connections. and cultures,” he says. For the logo, he used orange
to represent hope, with a design resembling two
Dimas began applying for administrative jobs and people holding hands together.
soon found out about a vacancy for a “data labeler”
with English skills. While his English was good Dimas then gained more confidence to take
enough to listen to music and read subtitles in movies, on commissioned art projects and even has
conversing in the language was new territory. international clients, thanks to the English skills he
obtained in Bersama. Now in an exploration phase,
“I was shy. I sent my CV and it was in Indonesian. Dimas is more confident that his interests lie in visual
Hopefully, the interviewer would be local and speak arts, whether in graphic design, digital/traditional
Indonesian,” Dimas recalled. Instead, he found portrait drawing, hand-lettering, or murals.
himself in a fully English interview with an American!
After this complication, Dimas did not have much Joining Bersama was an unexpected blessing
hope in getting accepted. But, a surprise came and journey for Dimas. Not only could he develop
his way and he joined the first Bersama cohort in his English and art skills, but he finally found the
August 2019. community he was looking for. He was also able
to save and support his family back home. More
In Bersama, Dimas quickly caught onto the work of recently, through a Bersama referral, Dimas was
data labeling. He also found himself surrounded by accepted to a six-month internship with Nava+, a
people that supported him and helped him realize major marketing group in Indonesia. There, he will
his passions. Soon, Dimas was introduced to the continue to cultivate his artistic skills. Who knows
possibility of a different career path, contrary to the where he will be in another three years?
one his mother envisioned for him.
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

DIMAS

Bersama
Community
Member

p. 27
Zakir’s Story | “Work, Learn, and Belong”

EMBRACING LIFE
Ever since he was young, Zakir had always had an had to arrange bi-weekly meetings, train and
interest in IT and computer science. The 28-year- give feedback to his team members, and provide
old refugee from Pakistan attended programs and emotional support. “It took a month or two before
computer classes, but never had the chance to I felt truly confident,” he said. At first he had no
apply what he learned until he joined Bersama in confidence in being a leader. However, after his
October 2019. training and experience, Zakir felt that “there was
nothing that I cannot do.”
Zakir had heard of Bersama through a friend, who
was a member at the time. Initially, he thought He brought this mindset when facing challenges
that the role would be demanding. Contrary to his in his role, such as giving feedback to his team
expectations, he found that being a data dabeler members. There were instances when he had to
came surprisingly easy for him. His first projects were point out his members’ mistakes and inform them
in image and text annotation and quality assurance. to fix it, often repeatedly. “Even if they made the
same mistakes for the third time, I would not want
Armed with his IT skills, he quickly became a role to confront them but still tell them it could be done
model for many of his peers, particularly for his quick another way,” Zakir explained. He wanted to be
typing skills. He had practiced his typing in Pakistan perceived by his team members as a friend and not
with the goal of beating others who were faster than someone with a higher authority.
him. This ability gained him popularity in Bersama
and many approached him to learn from him. For Zakir, the Bersama tagline is meaningful: “work,
learn, and belong.” Not only has he been able to
This was noticed by Micheal, Bersama’s Program earn income and grow as a professional, but he
Manager, and Zakir was assigned to multiple projects has found a community that is “like family” where
with more independence. Although told that he was members are “helping and growing together.”
a role model, to Zakir it did not mean that he was
better than others. Rather, he was grateful that his Through Bersama, Zakir has gained enough
skills can be used to help his fellow colleagues. experience in the data labeling industry to become
a successful independent freelance data labeler.
In 2020, Zakir was nominated as one of five Now, he can support himself and even save up
first members to undergo Bersama’s new team for university. Currently, his focus is on getting his
leader training program. As a team leader, Zakir bachelor’s in Computer Science at an online university. OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

ZAKIR

Bersama
Community
Member

p. 28
Key Activities and Participants

EMBRACING LIFE
As of December
2021, the Bersama
community had 89
active members with
access to work, learn,
and belong activities.

AC T I V I T Y # of Participants

Data Labeling*
AV E R AG E 3 0
Remote freelance work facilitated by Bersama. Based on
MEMBERS / MONTH
qualifications and volume of work available.

English Program
AV E R AG E 3 6
English classes ranging from Elementary - Advanced Levels,
MEMBERS / TERM
offered 2x per week and focused on workplace English.

Professional Development Program

AV E R AG E 3 0
Monthly sessions featuring internal and external speakers on a
MEMBERS / SESSION
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

range of personal and professional development topics.

Community Meetings
AV E R AG E 4 3
Monthly gatherings (virtual) allowing members to connect and stay
MEMBERS / MEETING
motivated in their job searches, online work, and learning activities.

* Bersama partners with overseas companies to facilitate access to remote work, due to
Indonesian regulations prohibiting local employment for refugees.

p. 29
2021 Bersama Highlights

EMBRACING LIFE
In contrast to 2020, Bersama experienced a very different chapter of its life as a pilot program that was both
more difficult and rewarding in new ways. A major challenge was a significant reduction in the volume of data
labeling work flowing to the Bersama community, which created space for us to reflect on what we are truly
about. This led to a realization that the heart of Bersama is the learning and self-discovery process that takes
place around data labeling, and this process should ultimately help Members move forward to their “next
step” in life and vocation. In this sense, 2021 was indeed a fruitful year.

While not all Bersama members were able to earn significant income through data labeling work, we saw
members embracing opportunities to keep learning through our English program and monthly professional
development sessions, or even finding the courage to pursue a new job, internship, or further studies. In the
meantime, we were grateful to secure a second data labeling partnership with a company based a little closer
to home in Malaysia—thanks to strong performance on a challenging pilot project. We ended 2021 with a
reflective and celebratory year-end gathering, as community members shared their personal achievements
and lessons learned throughout the year.

52
REFUGEES FROM
+ 37
INDONESIANS
= 89
CO M M U N I T Y
7 CO U N T R I E S* MEMBERS

* Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, and Vietnam

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p. 30
 EMBRACING LIFE
1 7 N E W M E M B E R S W E LCO M E D

$240,000+ The Bersama community welcomed two new

cohorts and 17 members, including its first
I N CO M E G E N E R AT E D members from a smaller city in Indonesia,
S I N C E 2 01 9 Malang. Bersama continues to be a fully
remote operation and piloted the integration
of participants from outside of Jakarta.

In 2021, total Member income generated

since program launch in August 2019
surpassed $240,000. In 2021 alone,
2 3 M E M B E R S B E GA N T H E I R
Bersama Members collectively earned
“ N EXT STEPS”
over $50,000 and served 22 data labeling
projects. Members are matched to 10 Members transitioned from Bersama
projects by Bersama and perform hourly to full-time jobs, internships, or further
work for partner companies as freelance education opportunities. An additional
data annotators. 13 Members began external specialized
training, internship, or further education
while remaining in the Bersama community.

3 M E M B E R S P R O M OT E D
S Y N E R GY W I T H R O S H A N
1 Indonesian Member and 2 refugee
Members were promoted to Program 27% of refugee members had completed
Assistant and Lead Annotator / Intern or were in process of completing their high
roles in January 2021. As junior staff, they school studies through the Roshan GED Prep
gained experience leading meetings, and Elite Open School programs. Bersama
training and managing others. and Roshan continue to complement each
other as sister programs, forming a unique
work-study opportunity for refugees in
Jakarta.

7 TEAM LEADERS TRAINED

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Bersama conducted its annual Team Leader

Training program for a second cohort. High-
performing Members are provided training in
basic leadership skills. Team leaders become
eligible for progression to Lead Annotator
roles in data labeling teams.

p. 31
 EMBRACING LIFE
Our Partners
& Supporters

A key aspect of the YICF vision is to see a

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

healthy, vibrant ecosystem growing around our

programs and communities. We love that our
partnerships continue to multiply both locally and
internationally, reflecting the unique character
and style of YICF as a locally rooted and globally
connected organization.
p. 32
Donor Community

EMBRACING LIFE
In 2021, 119 individuals and families made generous financial
contributions throughout the year, toward both general needs and
specific projects. Most of our givers are personally connected to
119
I N D I V I D U A L S/
FA M I L I E S , I N C L U D I N G :
our work, and we could not be more thankful for the financial and
moral support that they provide.

58 in the US
61 in Indonesia or other
countries

Funding Partners

Our core funding partners such as Jakarta International Christian Fellowship, Elite Education Group, Trash
Mountain Project, and International English Service continued to provide essential funding for operations.
We were also excited to receive special grants from Association Femmes d’Europe and Techsoup Asia, which
enabled us to purchase much needed equipment, software, and technology to support remote operations
through the pandemic.

20
Indonesia Overseas

• Church World Services • Association

• Covenant City Church Femmes d’Europe
O R G A N I Z AT I O N S , • Jakarta International • Elite Education Group
BUSINESSES, Christian Fellowship • NewStory
A N D F O U N DAT I O N S • International English Church LA (New)
Service (IES) Jakarta • Smokelong Quarterly
• U.S. Embassy (J. Kirby (New)
9 in the US Simon Foreign Service • Techsoup Asia (New)
11 in Indonesia or other Trust) • Trash Mountain Project
countries • UNHCR
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Significant gifts were also received from other private foundations, companies, and major donors
who are not named in the list above.

p. 33
Collaboration/In-Kind Support

EMBRACING LIFE
We remain indebted to an even
wider range of partners and Indonesia Overseas
their communities for choosing
to trust and work with us. We are • Anglo-Chinese School • International
especially grateful for the many Jakarta* Association For
volunteers from the U.S. Embassy • British School Jakarta* Refugees
and Jakarta Intercultural School • Danacita • LCC International
communities, and partners like • Essential Roastery University
Ninja Xpress, Essential Roastery, • Jakarta Intercultural • Supahands
Tobing Estate, and the Nava+ School • TEAM
Group who generously contribute • Liberty Society • TELUS International
their products and professional • Nava+ Group • Transformational
services. • Ninja Xpress Business Network Asia
• Resource Global
• Royal Progress Hospital
• Sampoerna University
• Tobing Estate
• UNHCR Indonesia
• U.S. Embassy
• Universitas Indonesia
• YUM Organic Farm

* Student engagement only

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p. 34
 EMBRACING LIFE
Our Finances

YICF was established as an umbrella organization with a unique structure, in which 100% of donations given
for a particular program goes directly to the program’s designated fund. In turn, each program contributes
to the cost of shared services provided by the YICF staff and leadership team. Every year, the Board of YICF
approves a combined annual budget and allocation of YICF expenses according to the size and resources
available to each program.

2 0 2 1 F I N A N C I A L S U M M A RY IDR (Rp.) USD ($)

Revenues 6 , 9 8 6 , 070 , 6 0 5 488,536

Expenses 6 , 3 96 , 41 0 , 3 8 4 4 47, 3 0
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Change in Net Assets 5 8 9, 6 6 0 , 2 2 0 41 , 2 3 5

Total Year End Assets 6,01 0,635,884 4 2 0 , 3 24

Note: All USD figures use an exchange rate of 14,300 IDR = 1 USD.

p. 35
2021 Sources of Income

EMBRACING LIFE
50.3%
1%

48.4% .3%

IDR (Rp.) USD ($)

Donations 3 , 3 8 4 , 2 5 1 , 247 2 3 6 , 6 61

Grants and Restricted

3 , 51 5,422, 211 24 5 , 8 3 4
Gifts

Merchandise/Coffee
1 9, 4 94 , 1 1 3 1,363
Sales (Net)
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Student Fees - -

Interest and Other 66 ,903 ,033 4 , 67 9

Total 6 , 9 8 6 , 070 , 6 0 5 488,536

p. 36
2021 Allocation of Expenses

EMBRACING LIFE
1%
81.4%

18.1%

IDR (Rp.) USD ($)

Program Expenses 5 , 2 0 4 , 2 5 3 , 6 47 363 ,934

YICF Shared Expenses 1 ,160,495 ,420 81 ,1 54

Other (Bank Fees) 3 1 , 6 61 , 3 1 7 2, 214

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Total 6 , 3 9 6 , 41 0 , 3 8 4 47, 3 01

p. 37
2021 Breakdown of Program Expenses

EMBRACING LIFE
IDR (Rp.) USD ($)

YICF 67, 3 70 , 6 3 2 4,7 11

Roshan 2 , 1 2 7, 5 7 5 , 6 6 3 14 8 ,782

Bersama 1 , 1 69, 1 4 9, 8 8 1 81 ,759

LIFE 1 , 5 0 1 , 1 47, 47 1 1 04 ,975

Other* 3 3 9, 0 1 0 , 0 0 0 2 3 , 707

Total 5 , 2 0 4 , 2 5 3 , 6 47 363 ,934

* YICF maintains a few private sponsorships for refugee families formerly supported by the
FAAR housing & food assistance program (closed officially in late 2019).

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

p. 38
 EMBRACING LIFE
Appendix 1
Roshan
Unlocking brighter
futures: together.
Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, we are a diverse
learning community of over 150 students of all ages
and over 70 volunteers and staff members. We are
refugees, Indonesians, and other foreign nationals
working together to create a place where people
from all walks of life find hope, kindness, and life-
changing relationships.

What we’re about:

• Providing quality education in a safe learning

environment for refugee children and youth.
• Empowering refugee adults with service
opportunities and language and professional
skills.
• Building a supportive community in which
refugees, Indonesians, and other foreign
Our program mission
nationals encourage, serve, and learn together.

 roshanlearning.org
  @RoshanLearning
To provide a safe
learning space
where refugees
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

find hope in
community and
pursue brighter
futures through
education.
p. 39
The Roshan Community - Students (as of December 2021)

EMBRACING LIFE
139STUDENTS
52 FEMALE
% 9
N AT I O N A L I T I E S
ENROLLMENT REPRESENTED

Our student body remains diverse with 9 countries being represented. Our student population roughly
mirrors national refugee demographics, with 59% of our students being from Afghanistan and 41% from
countries including Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and others.

Nationality

Afghanistan 82 59%

Egypt 2 1%

Eritrea 21 1 5%

Iran 8 6%

Iraq 9 6%

Pakistan 4 3%

Palestine 3 2%

Sri Lanka 2 1%
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Yemen 8 6%

Total 139

p.40
The Roshan Community - Volunteers

EMBRACING LIFE
88
VO L U N T E E R S
16,000+ H O U R S CO N T R I B U T E D I N 2 0 2 1

By December 2021, volunteers were serving in over 90% of teaching and student support roles in our
three core academic programs (Foundations, Elite Open School, and GED Prep).

Refugee community members continue to be the most stable and consistent volunteers across our
leadership and academic program teams, while volunteers from the local Indonesian and foreign national
communities rotate throughout the year. The Foundations and Elite Open School programs especially rely
heavily on 13 refugee volunteers who serve as teaching apprentices or lead mentors.

Roshan is also a meaningful service learning tradition for high school students from Jakarta Intercultural
School and Anglo Chinese School Jakarta, who provided extra curricular classes on Saturdays throughout
the year.

Active Volunteers (as of Dec. 2021)

Volunteer Role # of Volunteers % Refugee

Foundations (Teachers) 16 5 6%

Elite Open School (Mentors,

4 100%
Coaches, and Teachers)

GED Prep (Teachers

10 20%
and Mentors)
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Saturday Program (Tutors /

29 7%
Extracurricular Classes)

Leadership (Managers and

4 100%
Coordinators)

General Operations/Other 1 100%

p.41
The Roshan Community - Program Staff Team (as of January 2022)

EMBRACING LIFE
Roshan has a dynamic, “blended” leadership team of Indonesians, refugees, and foreign nationals from
diverse backgrounds who serve as managers and coordinators to ensure our activities are both relevant to
the community’s needs and meet high standards of quality.

ARIANE ALANA T I A R A A RYA N I N A S E R ( M A S O U D) E S M AT A H M A D I

Academic Principal Administrative Principal ARAN Community Relations
Finance & Facilities Manager
Indonesia Indonesia
Manager / Roshan
Afghanistan
Co-Founder

Iran

YA N T I B R S I T E P U MUSA AHMADI C A I T L I N H OW E JAN E LE E

Foundations Program GED Program Manager Program Director Interim Elite Program
Manager Manager/Education
Afghanistan USA
Specialist
Indonesia
USA

Special Thanks
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

We would like to recognize and express our gratitude for staff who served faithfully with us before
transitioning to their next steps in 2021.

• Brandon Baughn, Program Director

• Farida Alimi, Volunteer Coordinator
• Mamoon Alsafadi, Elite Program Coordinator

p.42
 EMBRACING LIFE
Appendix 2
Bersama
Work, Learn, Belong.
Launched in 2019, Bersama is YICF’s first initiative
serving refugees and Indonesians together. Over
70% of the 13,000 refugees in Indonesia are
working-age adults with no right to local employment
(UNHCR Indonesia, 2021). In addition, over 14% of
Indonesian youth are unemployed and over 20% are
not participating in any education, employment, or
training activities (ILO 2020, World Bank 2019).

Through corporate partnerships and a unique

combination of online work and parallel learning
activities, Bersama helps unemployed young adults
prepare for employment, future resettlement, or
other vocational opportunities.

 bersama.org

Our program mission

To create • Work : Gain practical experience through remote,

freelance work*
opportunities • Learn : Grow in professionalism and work
readiness through mentorship and professional
for young adult development activities.
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

• Belong : Enjoy a sense of belonging through a

Indonesians and diverse, supportive community

refugees to work, *Currently focused on facilitating freelance data

annotation work in partnership with overseas data
learn, and belong. labeling companies.

p.43
Bersama Community

EMBRACING LIFE
Bersama manages a community of freelance data annotators who participate in projects sourced from data
labeling partners and professional development and learning activities provided by the Bersama program. Since
Bersama’s launch in August 2019, 6 cohorts have joined the community. Members are from diverse educational
backgrounds and nationalities, creating a rich cross-cultural experience. All program activities are conducted in
English, though Members have performed data labeling tasks in over 7 languages over the years.

89 MEMBERS
58 REFUGEE
% 42INDONESIAN
%

MALE 66% 34% FEMALE

OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Approximately 70% of working age refugees in Indonesia are male, and most single men do not qualify for
assistance programs. Hence, the majority of our refugee workforce are male.

Our aim is to continue working toward at least 40% women across the whole community.

p.44
 EMBRACING LIFE
Members by Nationality

Afghanistan 3 5%

Ethiopia 6%

Eritrea 7%

Indonesia 42%

Pakistan 6%

Somalia 4%

Members by Education Background Indonesian Refugee Total/Level

Below Secondary - 6 6

Secondary/Secondary
- 7 7
Equivalent (Partial/In Progress)

Secondary/Secondary
19 25 44
Equivalent

Polytechnic/Vocational Degree 1 - 1

Bachelor's Degree (Partial/In

- 5 5
Progress)

Bachelor's Degree 16 8 24
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

Master's Degree 1 - 1

Other - 1 1

Total/Type 37 52 89

p.45
Bersama Program Staff (as of January 2022)

EMBRACING LIFE
J OY L E E MICHAEL M ECCA AHMAD MORADI
Acting Program Director / Program Manager VERDIANO BOOR Community Management
YICF Executive Director Program Assistant Intern / Lead Annotator
Indonesia
USA / S. Korea Indonesia Afghanistan

2021 Data Labeling Activity by Numbers

2
PA R T N E R
22 18,880
P R OJ E C T S* HOURS
CO M PA N I E S

$50,021
AVG . PA R T I C I PAT I O N

TOTA L M E M B E R E A R N I N G S**
30
MEMBERS PER MONTH

* Primarily quality assurance projects

** Cumulative total (Oct 2019 - Dec 2021): $243,871
OVERVIEW & 2021 REPORT

2021 Learning and Community Activities by Numbers

CO M M U N I T Y M E E T I N G S PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH PROGRAM

D E V E LO P M E N T
• 10 sessions PROGRAM • 3 terms
• 42 participants (avg.) • 36 students per term from
• 11 sessions
• 51% participation Elementary - Advanced
• 12 speakers
rate (avg.) Levels
• 37% participation rate
• 82% participation
(avg.)
/attendance rate (avg.)

p.46
 yicf.org

© 2 0 2 2 YAYA S A N I N T E R N A S I O N A L C A H AYA FA J A R .
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.