FMCH Indonesia (Yayasan Balita Sehat Indonesia) has launched Indonesia’s first pilot of the BUNDA Program (Bersama Mendukung Ibu Sehat dan Bahagia), a community-based psychosocial support model designed to strengthen the mental health of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach adapted from the WHO endorsed Thinking Healthy Program (THP).
Program BUNDA 2026 implementation is supported by Van Leer Foundation, Challenge Works – Home of the Longitude Prize, The LEGO Foundation, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, and FEMSA Foundation through The Good Start Challenge.
Training for Midwives and Posyandu Cadres
As part of the larger implementation, in January 2026 FMCH Indonesia held training for trained 20 midwives and 67 Posyandu cadres, held on January in Southwest Sumba District and South Central Timor District.
There are 5 modules training:
Preparing for the Baby
Focuses on emotional wellbeing during pregnancy, healthy thinking, self-care, and preparing for motherhood.
The Baby’s Arrival
Supports mothers in adjusting after childbirth, coping with emotional changes, and strengthening bonding with the baby.
Early Infancy
Encourages responsive caregiving, mother–baby interaction, and healthy daily routines during the first months of infancy.
Middle Infancy
Focuses on child development, maternal wellbeing, family support, and managing ongoing stress and fatigue.
Late Infancy
Helps mothers maintain positive coping strategies, strengthen family relationships, and build confidence for the future.
In addition to the core THP modules, the training was further adapted to include: spiritual reflection grounded in local values and emotional support through empathetic listening.
These additions were developed to make the program more culturally relevant and responsive to the emotional and social realities of mothers in local communities.
Home Visits and Posyandu Sessions
The support process for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, carried out by the cadres and midwives by home visits and Posyandu sessions, took place over six months from January to June 2026, reaching 409 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in both districts.
Refreshment Session
The refreshment session for midwives and community health cadres served as an important opportunity to strengthen their foundational skills while revisiting key module materials and counseling techniques. The sessions were held on February 21, 2026, in Southwest Sumba (SBD), and on February 28, 2026, in Soe, Timor Tengah Selatan (TTS). For many participants, providing basic counseling for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers is a completely new experience that requires continuous learning and practice. Through meetings and sharing sessions like this, participants are able to learn together, deepen their understanding after the initial training, and build greater confidence in supporting mothers within their communities.
Process Evaluation Session
As the implementation period progressed, we conducted process evaluation sessions with midwives and Posyandu volunteers to discuss their experiences in the field. The first session took place in Watu Kawula Village, Southwest Sumba, on 18 April 2026, followed by a second session in Soe City, South Central Timor Regency, on 25 April 2026. Both sessions provided a space for participants to reflect on what had worked well, discuss challenges encountered during implementation, and identify areas for improvement moving forward. These discussions also encouraged peer learning and strengthened collaboration among health workers and community volunteers in supporting mothers and young children at the community level.
