A Journey of Purpose: Shaped by Lessons, Strengthened by Change, Guided by Hope for Sustainability

November 06, 2025

The coalition works across three districts in East Nusa Tenggara Province: Sumba Timur, Rote Ndao, and Lembata—regions on the frontline of climate change, yet rich in local wisdom and community resilience. ADAPTASI is made up of organisations that share a common vision and values: to promote change that centres both people and the planet. These include Yayasan Penabulu (as coalition lead), Konsil LSM, YAPEKA, CTSS, Desa Lestari, KPI, Sinergantara, Yayasan Barakat, and Koppesda. Together, they are building a path of collaboration that amplifies voices from the margins, drives grassroots action, and plants the seeds of hope for a sustainable future.

The journey of the ADAPTASI Coalition began in 2020, a modest yet hopeful first step. They served as a bridge—connecting community voices to government policy and linking grassroots hope to decision-making spaces. Launching this project was far from easy. The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, demanding careful planning and a strong commitment to safety. We had to build trust amid uncertainty. Health protocols were strictly enforced, and every meeting was limited in size to ensure a safe environment for all. We started by building bridges—establishing coordination with local governments and opening spaces for dialogue that could serve as a foundation for collaboration. At the same time, we engaged key local stakeholders, introducing a shared vision of climate action that is just and rooted in community strength.

By the second year, our steps had moved closer to the ground. Community facilitation began, guided by the belief that the true power of change lies within the people themselves. Forums were established as meeting points between citizens and local authorities. In those spaces, local voices were not only heard but recognised as a guiding force. Each forum became a vital moment—a space where experience, knowledge, and hope converged to shape a more resilient and sustainable future.

Through patient facilitation and consistent capability strengthening efforts, a new force has emerged from the margins—13 Local Champions who now stand at the forefront, advocating for climate action from the village level to the national stage. They are not only the faces of change but also the drivers of hope amid a climate crisis. More than IDR 4.2 billion in resources have been mobilised—through public funding, CSR contributions, and donor support—to strengthen and expand various initiatives. Parallel advocacy efforts have resulted in 10 policy documents, ranging from village regulations to provincial-level guidelines supporting community-based climate action.

Four multi-stakeholder forums are now active across three districts and one province, creating collaborative spaces where community voices and policymakers converge. Knowledge has also grown—12 knowledge products have been developed as cross-regional learning tools, and in Sumba Timur, a centre for disaster response and climate change has been established. Moreover, 62 media articles have helped amplify local stories and solutions to a broader public. These are not merely numbers, but the breath of transformation—born of trust, collaboration, and the power of communities to shape a more resilient and sustainable future.

The journey of the ADAPTASI Coalition is not merely about programmes, numbers, or reports. It is a story of how trust is built, how voices from the margins are brought to the centre, and how strength grows when everyone walks together. From the very beginning, we learned that regular coordination is the lifeblood of collective work. It is not just about meetings, but about creating spaces for mutual listening, strengthening each other, and ensuring that every step remains aligned. Amidst rapid changes—social, political, and environmental—we have also learned to be adaptive and flexible. Not everything can be planned, but everything can be responded to wisely. Within this coalition, we dismantled the divide between “coordinator” and “staff.” We chose to become one big family—standing as equals, sharing roles, and growing in a spirit of equity and mutual trust.

Another critical lesson is the importance of documenting best practices, local wisdom, and climate action models led by local champions. Such documentation serves as a source of learning, an advocacy tool, and a valuable record that reinforces the impact of community-led actions.

Finally, synergy among communities, civil society organisations (CSOs), and local governments has begun to bear fruit. Government support is becoming increasingly evident through budget allocations and policy instruments that help create an enabling environment from the village to the district level.

On the eastern coast of Indonesia, change begins with small but meaningful steps: Indigenous communities safeguarding their forests and ancestral lands with deep reverence, fisherfolk caring for the ocean through time-honoured wisdom, and young women leading their own groups with courage and determination. These are the faces of transformation nurtured by the ADAPTASI Coalition—a movement grounded in the belief that the climate crisis must be addressed from the grassroots, through genuine hope and purposeful action.

Yet the journey is far from complete. Many communities still need support to ensure their voices are heard and that the initiatives they have built can continue to grow and thrive. This is where your support becomes crucial. You can contribute in many ways; every act of solidarity strengthens community resilience. Together, we can keep the flame alive—and expand the light of change to even more corners of the nation.