Sumba Foundation

The Sumba Foundation^® is constantly evolving to meet the current and future needs of the Sumbanese people.

We invite you to discover what The Sumba Foundation is doing across the island.

A stay at NIHI® Sumba combines the ultimate in luxury comforts with the opportunity to authentically immerse oneself in the island’s magnificently preserved, ancient tribal culture. The spirit of Sumba imbibes a plethora of vibrant, local traditions and rituals, which embody the rich symphony of local daily life.

Group of young Sumbanese schoolchildren dressed in crisp white shirts and red uniforms, standing barefoot and in sandals on a rural path at sunrise, symbolizing the Sumba Foundation’s impact on education access in remote communities.

Joyful group of Sumbanese school children smiling and waving outside their classroom, capturing the vibrant spirit and educational impact of initiatives by the Sumba Foundation and Burch Family Foundation

Local Sumbanese man herding a group of buffalo along a sunlit jungle path, symbolizing traditional livelihoods and rural life supported by the Sumba Foundation’s community-focused initiatives.

A smiling schoolgirl in uniform enjoys her meal inside a classroom in Sumba, reflecting the educational and nutritional impact of the Sumba Foundation’s outreach programs.

Three young Sumbanese boys in school uniforms enjoying a midday meal from colorful lunchboxes, seated against a bright blue classroom wall—part of the school nourishment initiatives by the Sumba Foundation, Burch Family Foundation and NIHI Sumba.

A healthcare worker in scrubs and a face mask examines samples under a microscope at a Sumba Foundation clinic, highlighting the foundation’s ongoing efforts in malaria prevention and community health at NIHI Sumba.

Overview

During the development of Nihiwatu (1988 – 1994), our pioneering founders Claude and Petra Graves lived much the same as the villagers around them did, without running water, electricity, or clinics to go to if they were sick.

These setbacks inspired them to explore solutions for the core issues similarly affecting their neighbors: poor health, no access to water, widespread malaria and malnutrition, minimal education and no medical facilities within a day’s walk.

The philanthropic vehicle they would use to fulfill the needs of the community was their resort Nihiwatu and so they began involving guests in community efforts near the resort.

The Sumba Foundation^® is constantly evolving to meet the current and future needs of the Sumbanese people.

They have built a solid foundation of better health and basic education for the community, and have evolved to tackle more of what is needed; even better education, new skills training, and creating employment and small-scale business opportunities for future generations.

The Sumba Foundation^® is a small but highly effective organization that is fully committed to helping the people of Sumba prosper, and with our help, they will.

Access to potable water and establishing community-based wells and water stations.

Health Care, including but not limited to malaria control, transmission reduction and eradication, eye care, midwife assistance, and general health consultation.
Nutrition projects for infants and school lunches for primary school students to improve their diets including a health and hygiene curriculum.

Local economic opportunity projects in sustainable farming.
Learning Development, helping to provide English language skills and computer technology to the next generation

Get in touch

For reservations or more information, please contact our

Travel Designers

E. [email protected]
W. +62 811 3821 2910

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Guest walking alongside Sumba horses during their natural beach stroll at NIHI Sumba, where guests are welcome to interact with the horses in an organic and unstructured way.

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#nihigram by @scottybauer_

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Open post by nihi with ID 18027048524684022

If heaven was a place on earth, it might look a little like NIHI.There is something endlessly beautiful about watching horses roam free, running the shoreline and swimming in the ocean, life as it was intended. These majestic creatures are woven deeply into the culture of Sumba, companions to its people and part of the very soul of the island.

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Known for expert coaching and a highly personalised approach to Pilates, The Pilates Project brings private Reformer sessions to The Edge of Wildness™️.

Combining strength, stability, mobility and control, each session is tailored to the individual, overlooking the Indian Ocean as Sumba’s horses wander along the shoreline below.

Expert-led Reformer Pilates in a setting unlike any other.

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Reformer Pilates with @wearetpp comes to NIHI Sumba until 20 October.Known for expert coaching and a highly personalised approach to Pilates, The Pilates Project brings private Reformer sessions to The Edge of Wildness™️.Combining strength, stability, mobility and control, each session is tailored to the individual, overlooking the Indian Ocean as Sumba’s horses wander along the shoreline below.Expert-led Reformer Pilates in a setting unlike any other.

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1–6 June 2027
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Spaces are limited, with availability already filling fast.

Full details and enquiries are available via the retreat page, linked in our bio.

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Open post by nihi with ID 18094815497545463

Our 2027 Healing with Horses Retreats with Candice Webster are now open for bookings, and places are filling quickly.Following the extraordinary energy of our retreat in June, we return with two intimate five-day experiences, bringing together the wild beauty of Sumba, our Sandalwood horses and Candice’s intuitive approach to equine healing.1–6 June 20278–13 June 2027Each retreat is an invitation to slow down, reconnect and experience the profound relationship between horses, nature and self.Spaces are limited, with availability already filling fast.Full details and enquiries are available via the retreat page, linked in our bio.

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Reformer Pilates has arrived at @nihi, as part of a very special new partnership.Move to the sound of the ocean, right on the beach, as NIHI’s horses wander past.Possibly the best view you’ll ever have from a reformer.

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Set on the remote Indonesian island of Sumba, just one hour flight from Bali, @nihi is where the simple, raw, unfiltered beauty of island life unfolds.Rooted in tradition, rich in culture, and surrounded by untamed natural beauty, this is the essence of NIHI..#nihigram by @lina_jyoga

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Raja Mandaka, the crown jewel of NIHI Sumba.Perched above the Indian Ocean, with uninterrupted views stretching along the Sumbanese coastline, it feels like a world of its own. Mornings unfold slowly, golden light spills across the horizon, and the sound of the ocean follows you from sunrise to sunset.

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