The Program BUNDA (Bersama Mendukung Ibu Sehat dan Bahagia is the first structured community-based maternal mental health support in Indonesia. Program BUNDA strengthens what already exists as embed psychosocial care into Posyandu and village midwife services—Indonesia’s frontline community healthcare.
Program BUNDA approach is built on five key pillars:
- Cognitive support through simple Cognitive Behavioral Techniques (CBT) adapted from the WHO endorsed Thinking Healthy Program;
- Emotional support through empathetic listening;
- Physical wellbeing through healthy daily routines;
- Spiritual reflection grounded in local values; and
- Social support by engaging husbands and families.
The BUNDA program is implemented through structured home visits and/or Posyandu visits. Trained midwives and cadres help mothers reframe negative thoughts, rebuild confidence, strengthen bonding with their babies, and mobilize family support. It was first piloted on a small scale in 2025 in Southwest Sumba District. In 2026, the program is being scaled up and implemented in two districts — Southwest Sumba and South Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara — with support from Van Leer Foundation, Challenge Works, The LEGO Foundation, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, and FEMSA Foundation through the Good Start Challenge.
Program BUNDA offers a scalable, cost-efficient model. It leverages existing systems, builds local capacity, and opens a pathway for integration into district and national health system. This is not a temporary project but also a systems-strengthening innovation with long-term impact. When we support a mother’s mental health, we protect a child’s future, strengthen a family, and build community resilience.
The process
Small Research to Maternal Mental Health in NTT
Amid limited attention to maternal mental health, a grassroots study conducted by the Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH) Indonesia in two districts of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has uncovered a concerning reality.
Small Scale Piloting in Sumba
BUNDA has been piloted in small scale in SBD, using FMCH reserve funds, it was driven by the survey in early 2025 that revealed a high prevalence of maternal mental health challenges.
Larger Piloting in Two Regency
As a larger implementation scale funded by The Good Start Challenge, in January 2026 FMCH Indonesia held training for trained 20 midwives and 67 Posyandu cadres, held from 12–16 January in Southwest Sumba District and 19–23 January in South Central Timor District.
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Indonesia’s First Pilot of the BUNDA Program to Support the Mental Health of Mothers
FMCH Indonesia (Yayasan Balita Sehat Indonesia) has launched Indonesia’s first pilot of the BUNDA Program (Bersama