The People of Sumba Hospitality Foundation Ibu Inge De Lathauwer, a remarkable woman who recognized the need to assist young Sumbanese, launched the Sumba Hospitality Foundation (SHF) in the year 2016. The organization she founded gives 60 children an opportunity to attend their hospitality school each year in an effort to break the cycle of poverty for the people of Sumba.
These children come from unfathomable poverty and many of them have already lost one or both parents. Their will to learn and their determination to achieve and escape the cycle of poverty is evident in their burning desire to do so.
Our responsibility as coaches and mentors is to help these young generations grow. We inspire them to have faith in their own abilities through our programs. It was truly amazing to see where these kids have started from and how far they have come in just six months.
Ibu Inge, Alex, Ibu Dempta, the students, and the staff deserve our sincere gratitude for their outstanding hospitality throughout our visit. We are overwhelmed by the experience and feel genuinely blessed to have been welcomed to Sumba.
We went to Sumba Hospitality Foundation with the intention of helping the students gain basic life skills, but we left having learned the most important life lessons from these young people as well.
