NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Indonesian Experience

Indonesia shows how a well-organized community-based family program can offer an enduring model for managing population growth

By KESHAB POUDEL in Indonesia

At a time when countries like Nepal have been struggling to control their burgeoning population growth rates, Indonesia has recorded successes by experimenting with a novel model. After the implementation of a community-based family planning program, Indonesia has been able to reduce its population growth rate from more than 2.87 percent to 1.6 percent.

Nepal and Indonesia began their family planning programs almost at the same time. But Nepal's population continues to expand at the rate of over 2 percent whereas Indonesia has been able to reduce the growth rate dramatically through a vigorous approach of community mobilization.

Although the country was under a semi-authoritarian political system for nearly three decades, Indonesia achieved some important targets in terms of economic and social development. One of the major achievements of the Suharto regime, which was overthrown by popular uprising in 1997, was in controlling population growth through a robust program of community mobilization.

Under a program designed by the National Family Planning Coordination Board (BKKBN), the Indonesian government executed effective reproductive health and family planning programs through widespread community participation. The role of males in the process is very insignificant. It is the women who have led the drive.

During an observation study tour of a community-based national family planning\reproductive health program under a decentralized approach, an 11-member Nepalese delegation took a close look at Indonesia's participatory approach.

Community mobilization and decentralization are not new concepts for Nepalis. The kingdom has already experimented a successful forest management program through community participation. The introduction of a decentralized approach to development is in the implementation stage.

Indonesian officials emphasize that success did not come overnight. "Our achievement in the field of community-based national family planning is not a work of a few years. It has been introduced through vigorous attempts," said Dr. Jasi Kamil, international training program coordinator. As Nepal's population continues to expand, it urgently needs a community-based approach in the area of reproductive health. When a Muslim nation with strong values against family planning can achieve such successes, there is no reason why Nepalese society, which is more receptive to population management issues, cannot expect a similar approach to bear results.

Indonesia has many advantages, as the literacy rate is high and the participation of women in the area of family affairs is massive. Although Indonesian society remains male-dominated, like much of the Muslim world, the voices of women are fully respected. This is the reason why a large number of women have the choice of using contraceptives and adopting other family planning methods.

Over the last five decades, Nepal has developed a sturdy infrastructure from the ward to central level and trained a large number of health workers. But the problem is lack of political commitment to family planning and population issues. Indonesiaís success in managing its population rests on strong political commitment.

Active community participation has allowed Indonesia to maintain well-recorded data for everything from marriages to the growth stages of children. Family planning has become an integral part of the social and religious system and has instilled in Indonesians deep appreciation for the value of a small family.

Sponsored by UNFPA Nepal's country office, the observation and training tour provided a major opportunity for Nepalese participants to familiarize themselves with what is by all standards a highly effective approach to family planning. The program was based on seminars as well as observation tours of Yogyakarta Special Territory and Bali, which allowed the participants to understand the underpinnings of the model and to observe how community-based family planning and reproductive health programs can bring results.n