Dear sponsor,

We are about to start the 2024-2025 season. This will be our last season.

For most of you, this probably will be a surprise. Although some of you have asked us questions about the need for support or have made comments about the finitude of our projects. In recent years, several sponsors have left. Some without giving reasons, some told us that they see more in supporting other, for them more urgent, projects elsewhere.

For us, stopping the projects is not a sudden decision. In anticipation, in 2022 we started thinking about a phased withdrawal in consultation with our partner in Yogyakarta and we made a draft plan to get an idea of ​​how such a gradual process could be managed. That plan has been implemented. For example: we have not accepted any new students for our scholarship programme in the last two years, so that, in the event of a possible decision to stop, no students would be left without sponsorship halfway through their schooling. All children from the scholarship programme will have obtained their diplomas by the end of June 2025. All students we support will also have graduated by then.

There are three things that played a role in our decision to stop the Foundation in July 2025:

• The economic development in Indonesia (particularly in urban areas on Java and on the island of Bali) and as a consequence the steady growth of a middle class with spending power. This has a supporting effect on the social layer below, from which they themselves emerge. That makes you wonder whether we are still the designated party to play a role in initiating ideas and carrying out projects.

• We have noticed for a few years that funding has become more difficult. It takes more effort and we raise less money. Maybe it is because Indonesia has disappeared from the news (except for the positive Jokowi effect perhaps). We also see that the relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands has changed. The “tempo dulu” generation is no longer there, their children have all made their trips one or more times and younger generations are connected to the country through tourism on Bali.The sources are drying up: many loyal sponsors have passed away (we have always had a relatively large group of older sponsors) and our old networks from the companies we used to work for no longer function. It appears to be difficult for us to attract and bind younger generations to our activities. Crowdfunding is popular with them, but this does not create the solid financial basis we need. So we have become increasingly dependent on a few large(r) sponsors and that makes one think. We get pleasure from connecting to you: all those small private sponsors, many of whom we know personally. You were the benefactors for whom we were the intermediaries all this time.

• And last but certainly not least there were succession issues at our local partners. In Yogyakarta, after we put the succession theme on the agenda about four years ago, Ibu Murdijati has not succeeded in finding a new chairperson for her foundation with sufficient impact and with the same social position as herself. And that is a prerequisite in Indonesia to be able to effectively lead a volunteer organization. Of course, we would have preferred to see someone from the team nominated, but unfortunately, for compelling reasons, that was not possible.
  
  In Bali, it was reported almost two years ago that the current Head of the children's home (Franky) will retire at the end of 2024 and that he will not be succeeded by his assistant manager (Nyanyi), who has been the successful driving force behind the home for years. Unfortunately, she is not a Christian but a Balinese Hindu and is therefore not eligible for the position. An external manager will be appointed. Over the past 22 years, we have always worked with managers from within the group whom we have known for years in other positions or as children of the house. For us that was very important. The fact that Nyanyi is not Franky's successor is reason for us to the end the support for the children's home.

It is therefore a mixture of reasons that has led us to conclude that the time has come to stop our activities as of July 2025. It is up to you to continue to support us until that moment. Of course we hope that will happen.

In case we run out of money before the end of the season, there is a sponsor who has promised to help us to complete properly. And if we have money left, the seniors’ project will run a little longer until all funds are spend.

It is still too early for farewell and giving thanks, that will happen later. We still have a whole year ahead of us. But we wanted to inform you well in advance.

With warm regards, also on behalf of René and Merel, board members of Gotong Royong Utrecht,

Cornelius Blok