Poverty is a big problem on Pulau Nias, with Statistics Indonesia reporting that 1.51 million people live in absolute poverty in Northern Sumartra, the province in which Nias is situated. Many on Nias are subsistence farmers, and live in villages almost entirely disconnected from modern infrastructure. The people living in these isolated villages often lack access to healthcare and markets and are not equipped with the vocational training needed to succeed in urban communities. It is diificult to escape poverty without leaving the island entirely.

Yayasan Holi'ana'a has worked hard since its foundation in 1996 to offset this hardship, by providing a range of economic empowerment programs to people from across the island. 

Learn more about Yayasan Holi'ana'a's economic empowerment programs here.