As indigo foundation’s new Chair, I’m honoured to write to you for our End of Year Appeal — my first message to you in this role. I’ve worked in gender equality and international development for more than 20 years, across research, policy, advocacy and community partnerships. Throughout my career — from national movement building for education rights to feminist foreign policy coalitions to humanitarian response — I’ve seen the same truth again and again: hope is built through action.
It’s why Rebecca Solnit’s words have stayed with me:
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.”
And right now, so many communities face emergencies that threaten children’s rights, futures and safety. Around the world, conflict and displacement are rising. Aid budgets are shrinking. Climate effects are mounting and inequality both within and between countries continues to deepen. It is easy to look at this landscape and feel powerless.
But every day, across ten community partnerships in seven countries, indigo foundation’s partners show what active hope looks like — especially for children and young people. They organise, teach, rebuild, create and care. They take small, powerful actions that open doors to lasting change, restore dignity and create possibilities. Hope, in their hands, is a verb. Today, I want to share some of those hopeful actions with you.
Basma: Creative Healing for Children in Gaza
I’m thrilled to share that indigo foundation has recently launched a new partnership with the Basma Society for Culture and Arts in Gaza.Founded in 1994, Basma is an independent non-profit that has long provided arts, theatre, and psychosocial programs for children, youth, women, and people with disabilities. For many years, it was a vibrant centre of creativity and community in Gaza.In the wake of more than two years of devastating violence, Basma has faced unimaginable challenges. Israeli attacks claimed the lives of teachers, severely damaged their centre, and forced them to suspend much of their work. Yet, as Basma’s Executive Director, Nahed Hannoona, recently shared:
“We are currently in the process of clearing the rubble around the association, and the team has started to reposition itself after the ceasefire has stabilised.”
With extraordinary courage and commitment, Basma’s team is rebuilding and resuming their community work. With a new grant from indigo foundation, they are training up to 10 young people in puppet-making and animation — equipping them with creative and practical skills that can lead to future employment. These young artists will then form 4–5 mixed-gender field teams to deliver 20–30 puppet-based psychosocial and interactive activities in camps and shelters across Greater Gaza City, reaching more than 10,000 children affected by war and displacement. But this partnership is about far more than skills or activities — it is about healing, connection, and creative expression in one of the world’s most difficult contexts.
Your support today helps indigo extend its partnership with organisations like Basma ensuring they can continue giving children the tools to cope, recover, and dream of brighter futures.
PEKKA: Keeping Girls in School in Indonesia
In Indonesia, girls from low-income, single-mother households are at a higher risk of being forced to leave school to help their families survive. PEKKA’s education support allows girls to stay in school, pursue their dreams, and build brighter futures for themselves and their communities. We know that when girls have greater opportunity they in turn create opportunities for their whole family and their community.
PEAB: Learning with Dignity for Dalit Children in India
In Maduranthakam, southern India, Dalit children face systemic discrimination and barriers to education. Through the Program for Education and Awareness Building (PEAB), children have access to after-school programs, tutoring, and mentorship. These programs help them learn with confidence, access new opportunities, and break cycles of poverty and exclusion.
In each of these communities, hope is being built — one classroom, one mentorship, one child at a time. And these acts of hope are only possible because people like you choose to act alongside us.Your gift today helps provide hope where it’s needed most. It ensures that children, young people, and families across all our partnerships — from safe houses in Bougainville protecting children from domestic violence to supporting young girls with reproductive health in Rwanda – can continue learning, healing, and thriving.
Thank you for being part of the indigo foundation community and for taking action with us.
With gratitude,
Jo Pradela
Chair
indigo foundation
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