What is our collective role in ensuring those who raise our future communities have the support they need to thrive?
Rural communities cannot remain resilient across generations if those raising the next generation of stewards are in crisis. Yet across climate-affected parts of Southeast Asia, caregiving — the daily, uncosted, predominantly female labor of raising young children — is consistently treated as welfare rather than essential human infrastructure.
The household is the foundation that can make or break policy frameworks and economic models. Yet parents are left unsupported, navigating time poverty, social isolation, perinatal depression, and compounding climate pressures. These consequences cascade through the local economy, weakening nutrition, interrupting knowledge transmission, and eroding social cohesion. Supporting caregivers' wellbeing can transform families, communities, and local economies alike.
Drawing from over 1,000 entries across nine countries, the Good Start Challenge shows better support for parents is possible and is happening now. This Impact Lab spotlights three Southeast Asian finalists building long-term rural resilience:
• BUNDA deploys midwives and community cadres delivering low-cost psychosocial support for maternal depression in rural, climate-affected Indonesia.
• Sekolah Lontar redesigns caregiving through gender-equal parenting models on Rote island, reducing mothers' time poverty while rebuilding household resilience.
• P3 Leyte converts community play hubs into parent wellbeing spaces pairing childcare with mental health support and income-enablement.
Engage with innovators to explore how investing in parents ripples outward — to stronger, more resilient societies.
