Holistika - Building a Sustainable Future
- REI
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
by Jake Fettig, Country Leader, Indonesia
Although the vision and mission of REI remain constant around the globe, the activities and strategies employed to pursue them vary across the countries in which we work. Even within a single country, the contributions REI personnel make are dynamic and change over time. While we continue to be dedicated to building people to build nations, our work adapts to the opportunities, assets, needs and regulations of a particular nation at a particular time.
From 2011 to 2023 the entire REI team in Indonesia had a singular focus – developing and operating the SunRei Food Products social enterprise. But, as that project matured, it came time for REI to move on. In January of 2024 we celebrated the successful transition of SunRei away from REI’s support, allowing it to stand on its own as a viable enterprise creating jobs and holistic impact in a rural community of East Java.
As the spirit of thanksgiving around this momentous occasion settled, our hearts become sober as we turned towards the new challenges that come with such a large change in focus. We needed to find new areas of focus and institutions to partner with which would allow for REI personnel to make meaningful, ongoing, holistic contributions towards Indonesia’s development. In the following months we established both government contracts and university partnerships, but neither proved to be viable means for our team to maintain an ongoing presence in country. Thus, earlier this year, we decided it would be most strategic for us to start a local nonprofit foundation.
Why is this strategic? In Indonesia, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – like REI – are subject to specific and often changing regulations. One of the most important and clarifying regulations states that the primary mechanism which NGOs are meant to use to carry out activities in country is partnering with a local non-profit foundation that has the same objectives as the NGO. To meet the requirements of this regulation, there emerge two primary options – establishing a partnership with an existing local foundation whose vision and mission align with REI, or working with a national partner to establish a new institution crafted specifically to have a vision and mission aligned with REI’s. To ensure the most synchronicity between the local foundation and REI, the latter option seems the most strategic. This new nonprofit would then be able to facilitate the fulfillment of REI’s existing MoU’s in Indonesia, as well as initiate new projects, establish enterprises and support visas for further REI personnel.
And so, for the last four months we have been planning and preparing to launch the Indonesian Foundation for Holistic Training and Community Advancement, also known as the Holistika Foundation.
Here is a brief summary of Holistika.
Vision: “The peoples of Indonesia empowered, flourishing and filled with hope as their communities are holistically developed, and the quality of Indonesia’s strategic sectors reaches international standards.”
Mission: “To holistically train and develop people and communities to build a future filled with flourishing and to create avenues of sustainable development in Indonesia.”
Core Values: Holism, righteousness and justice, sustainability, participation, impact multiplication, focus on strategic sectors, strategic partnerships, asset-based community development, and valuing people over projects.
Leadership: The foundation’s leadership team includes five Indonesian nationals and four foreign workers, three of which are REI field staff.
In its first few months, the foundation will focus on activities related to biochar technology and business development, as well as research, development and dissemination (RD&D) and oversight of a local language school. Moving forward, the breadth of opportunities for the foundation’s programs is incredibly vast. For example, over the last two years we have been in discussion with various community leaders from East Java, Central Java, West Sulawesi, and North Maluku about the potential of REI personnel working to train local leaders and develop their communities. The establishment of Holistika provides a real means for our team to expand our potential for development impact in these underdeveloped parts of this beautiful country.
As the foundation gets established, we are drafting an MoU between REI and Holistika, so that we can formalize the partnership between REI and this key local institution, and so that REI can carry out legitimate activities towards our holistic vision in Indonesia during this next chapter.
If you are interested in learning more about the Holistika Foundation or its work, please reach out to us at jafettig@reiinc.org
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