Over the past 20 years, Palladium has committed 1.5 percent of its profit before tax to global giving platform “Let’s Make it Possible.” Through this platform and in partnership with the Kyeema Foundation, Palladium funds humanitarian relief efforts to respond to disasters.

When Mount Lewotobi erupted in November 2024, more than 11,000 people in East Flores, Indonesia were forced from their homes into temporary shelters. Among them were women, children, older residents, and people with disabilities, those most at risk in a disaster, and too often the least visible in a response.

Backed by Palladium’s Humanitarian Relief Fund, two locally led efforts stepped in to meet urgent needs, offering a blueprint for recovery grounded in dignity and inclusion.

Dignity in a Time of Displacement

In partnership with the Bali Children Foundation and PKBI East Flores, Indonesian social enterprise Perfectfit distributed 1,000 Menstrual Dignity Kits to four evacuation centres in Lewolaga, Konga, Kobasoma, and Bokang. Each kit included reusable bamboo pads, a towel, soap, a sarong, and a health information card.

They provided not just hygiene, but confidence and control during a time of upheaval.

“Thank you so much, the pads were so soft and comfortable,” one young girl shared during a follow up visit, an intimate reminder that simple, dependable care can help restore not just dignity but agency in the midst of displacement.

Funding for 650 kits came through Palladium’s Humanitarian Relief Fund, with the remaining 350 covered by Perfectfit’s Buy 1 Give 1 programme and other donors. By prioritising reusable products, the initiative is estimated to have diverted 20,000 single use plastic pads from the environment, an important co benefit for communities already vulnerable to the cascading effects of a natural disaster.

Critically, distribution was paired with small group education sessions aimed at equipping girls with practical knowledge to manage their health safely during emergencies. By combining access to products with information, the project worked to break stigmas and addressed a critical but frequently neglected dimension of crisis response: menstrual health as a pillar of dignity, not an afterthought.

Inclusion by Design

Yayasan PIKUL, a local non-profit based in Eastern Indonesia, leveraged funding from the Humanitarian Relief Fund to support people with disabilities, pregnant women, babies, and older people following the eruption and the subsequent landslide in Bitobe Village. Grounded in field assessments and strong local collaboration, the organisation paired immediate relief with practical adaptations to make camps safer and more accessible.

This included the distribution of mobility aids, hygiene and baby kits, and upgrades to sanitation and shelter accessibility. Simple improvements such as lighting in sanitation facilities, safer walking paths, and practical household level assistance helped reduce risks and restore a measure of comfort.

In addition, Yayasan provided training for local humanitarian workers in disability inclusion, and actively engaged women and persons with disabilities to serve as enumerators and decision-makers, ensuring that relief reflected lived realities. Partnerships with community groups, religious institutions, and local governments further strengthened coordination.

The result: concrete, person centred improvements that guaranteed no one was left behind in the response, or in the path to recovery.

A Model for Effective Humanitarian Response

As communities in Flores continue to rebuild, these initatives offer a blueprint for effective humanitarian response: locally led, equity focused, and grounded in dignity. Supported by Palladium’s Humanitarian Relief Fund and delivered with the Kyeema Foundation, both efforts show how community driven solutions can meet urgent needs today while strengthening resilience for tomorrow.

In the wake of Mount Lewotobi’s destruction, this critical work offer hope of a future where recovery efforts listen first, act inclusively, and leave communities better prepared for what comes next.

Learn more about Kyeema Foundation and the Humanitarian Relief Fund or contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com for more.