The 2020-2021 winner of the ANZI Top Club Service Award is the Jakarta Selatan Fun Urbana Lions Club in District 307B1! As a new club with just 23 members, their diabetes service project touched the lives of nearly 16,000 individuals. Indonesia ranks number six among countries with the highest number of diabetes cases, with about 10.3 million people in 2020. It is expected that approximately 16 million people will be living with type 2 diabetes in Indonesia by 2030.
Transformation to a healthy lifestyle is important in preventing and living with diabetes.
Transformation to a healthy lifestyle is important in preventing and living with diabetes. After chartering in June 2020, the club immediately decided to make it their mission to address diabetes in their community.
The club wanted to promote diabetes prevention and management by encouraging a healthy diet, physical activity, medication, regular screenings and avoiding tobacco. They divided this project into three segments.
The first was advocacy meant to raise awareness about diabetes. The club held two major diabetes webinars, collaborating with an organization called Teman Diabetes that supports diabetes in patients in Indonesia and a physician specializing in diabetes. Diabetes screenings to monitor blood pressure and sugar levels were offered regularly by the club at community centers. Lastly, the club shared diabetes information on their social media and hung diabetes informational posters around their community.
The next segment was to promote physical activity. The club did this by leading a weekly outdoor exercise class for coworkers before their shift. The club also held a weekly outdoor community exercise class led by a fitness instructor. Partnering with The Seeds of Bantar Gebang, the club held an event at a local sports club for disadvantaged children, providing a day of fun and exercise as well as a healthy lunch and goody bags. They even offered another form of exercise to the community, with multiple club members holding regular neighborhood cycling outings.
The last segment was to promote general healthy living and a healthy diet. The club did this by creating a hydroponic garden, which has given them multiple new ways to perform service. With support from the Pasar Alam Market and Savira Cooperative, they held informational sessions to train 150 community members on how to create their own hydroponic gardens.
The club donated the produce that they had grown to those who attended. Ecotours are also now being held at the hydroponic garden, with one of the first groups being local female farmers. The club has found that the hydroponic garden uses less water and produces a higher yield than more traditional forms of farming. They also shared healthy living tips online and hung posters to promote healthy living in markets and at construction sites. They even distributed water and fresh produce to some of the workers.
Many club members were very happy that were able to support their community. Since the garden and exercise classes were outdoors, this service project gave the club a chance to serve safely during the pandemic. Lion Denny, the club service chairperson and club director for diabetes, described her experience: “At regular community social gatherings (called arisan), I share different topics on diabetes and healthy living. We do routine blood pressure tests and check blood sugar levels (thank you fellow Lions for donating the test equipment and blood strips). I am glad that my neighbors are more concerned about their health.”
The club has a high rate of member satisfaction, and this project has created a strong foundation for their new club. The club’s original goal was to serve 13,000 people by the end of the 2020-2021 Lions year. They greatly exceeded this number by serving 15,900 people in eight months alone! The club was featured in the local press and used social media to promote and even host some of their activities.
We would like to recognize the Jakarta Selatan Fun Urbana Lions Club for their incredible work addressing diabetes in their community. By collaborating with several local organizations, they were able to improve the diet, fitness and overall health of thousands of community members.
If this story has inspired you to begin diabetes service, check out our resources for Strides for Diabetes Awareness event or Diabetes camps.
Read our last two blogs showcasing both finalists, Lions Club of Melbourne Next Gen and Oxford & Districts Lions Club, to learn more about the ANZI Top Club Service Award finalists.
Lion Carolyn Hall is a Global Action Team field specialist, primarily working with CA VII and CA III, at Lions Clubs International. She is a member of the Chicago Windy City Lions Club.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted communities around the world in different ways. To ensure we’re serving safely wherever we live, Lions should follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization or local health authorities. Visit our Serving Safely page for resources that can help you safely serve your community.
