OUR VISION
Transforming Indonesia’s rural communities into the architects of their futures.
Overview
SADA SOLU is a grassroots non-profit spearheading youth empowerment in Lake Toba, Indonesia. Unlike conventional organizations, our work begins with the village. We know that the village is the cultural spirit of Indonesia—reservoirs of Indigenous histories, values, identity, and knowledge. Rural communities across Indonesia possess remarkably resilient, locally-grounded systems for collective action, and yet remain left behind by dominant development agendas.
We champion the rural communities as leaders of creativity and innovation in digital spaces.
We work directly with communities by investing in village infrastructure, education, and local leadership to activate the potential of rural communities.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to catalyze local agency in Indonesia’s rural communities through education and youth leadership
Our Story
SADA SOLU was founded in 2024 by Damai Siallagan to develop centralized, community-led digital strategy in his family’s village of Tuktuk Siadong, Samosir Regency, Indonesia. It began as a small-scale digital capacities initiative with the support of the Canada-based Pathy Foundation Fellowship. Since then, SADA SOLU has evolved to operate across Lake Toba’s 7 regencies with plans to scale across rural Indonesia.
About the Name
SADA SOLU means “One Canoe” in the Indigenous Toba Batak language. The communities of Lake Toba have long relied on the lake as a source of sustenance and livelihoods, so canoe culture seeped deep into the cultural fabric of the peoples of the region. The hallmark of Batak aquaculture was the solu bolon, or “great canoe,” which could seat more than a dozen people at once, all of whom needed to play their part in steering the canoe straight. With the convenience of modern modes of transportation, Lake Toba’s canoe culture has gradually fallen out of use.
SADA SOLU was founded on the principle that communities need to work together now more than ever. For us, that means re-centring locally-led collective action in social and economic development. SADA SOLU aims to bring communities together to imagine and realize their collective futures: to row together as one canoe.
About the Logo: Tiang Naopat
SADA SOLU’s logo is named Tiang Naopat—”the four house-posts.” It strikes a balance of the fresh dynamism of digital transformations with our deep commitment to the communities we serve.
The name refers to the 4 posts that hold up traditional Batak houses. Its shape is comprised of 4 segments representing our 4 areas of impact: infrastructure, education, local leadership, and partnerships. The negative space between the segments forms the Batak character ᯘ representing the letter S — the first letter of SADA SOLU.
The colour scheme is inspired by the people and places that make SADA SOLU possible. It uses a gradient of blue-green shades to evoke the rich natural landscape of Lake Toba, while the sharp red accent recalls the hues commonly found in Batak art and design.
Tiang Naopat is the copyrighted intellectual property of SADA SOLU and may not be reproduced or used without express consent.
Our Team
Damai Siallagan
Founder & Director
Damai has over 7 years of experience in youth empowerment and 4 years in strategic planning in both grassroots and institutional settings. Past roles include leadership positions in project management, program coordination, and policy development.
Damai was a 2024–2025 Pathy Foundation Fellow and holds a BAH in Global Development and History from Queen’s University, Canada.
