Some plant and others water, but God who gives the growth.

I have just recently joined the REAF 2 Project. Five months may seem like a short time, but it flew by and left a deep impression. I had the opportunity to work with an amazing team, adapt to a new organizational culture, and reconnect with stakeholder partners—it truly felt like a reunion. 

Returning to Central Sulawesi was something I had deeply missed, and God answered that longing through ADRA. Managing this project has been both a privilege and a learning experience. While the business processes are quite similar to those I have managed before, there are always new insights to gain throughout my nearly 10 years of work in the humanitarian field. Managing a project, even though the business processes are similar, always brings new insights after nearly 10 years working in the humanitarian field. This time, I am managing a project in its final phase, with just five months remaining before it closure.

When I first joined, I understood that the team needed to adapt to a new leader, and because I was the second manager on this project. Reorganising business processes, helping the team understand that the project was not just about activities but also about impact, and building cooperation within the team, was not easy, and I understood this situation very well.

I helped them realise that ADRA is a faith-based humanitarian organization, meaning that there are values that must be transformed in society in accordance with ADRA’s slogan of justice, compassion and love. Interfaith devotion every Monday  became one of the most meaningful moments for me ; all staff from different faiths could share positive values that we could learn to enrich our work, strengthen our unity  and improve staff performance.

Bringing them to look back at all the remarkable efforts that have borne fruit is truly meaningful.  The positive changes felt by the community ignited our passion. All the fatigue was replaced with joy. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries reminded us how fortunate we are to be part of their journey.

We were also blessed with strong partnerships with the government, especially Bapperida, who embraced NGOs into a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Forum (Forum Kemitraan Multi Pihak). This collective spirit made our humanitarian work lighter and more impactful, thanks to shared responsibility and mutual support. As the project comes to an end, the Sigi District Government has expressed their commitment to continue the efforts initiated by REAF 2 Project.

I’m also incredibly grateful for the support of our amazing donor partners. Thank you to ADRA Canada and the Cannadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) for your unwavering care for the Indonesian people. At first, I was a bit anxious before the coordination meetings with Grant, Salil, and Sarah—wondering if I could meet their expectations. But each meeting turned out to be encouraging and uplifting. Grant and Salil were warm, responsive, and always supportive. I felt like I had two strong teams—the project team on the ground, and the donor team behind us. I am deeply honored to be part of ADRA.

To everyone who has ever worked on this project—some have started it, and others will finish it—but it is God who gives the growth. To every donor and government partner who has supported this mission, know that there is always hope—however small—to bring about meaningful change

-Erawinta, REAF 2 Project Manager