Helping people with basic opportunities will propel Asia to the next level

DAWN breaks early in Larantuka, at the eastern-most end of Flores, 1,000 miles east of Bali. The fishermen come early with their morning catch, the farmers are all at the market displaying their fresh vegetables, and the ubiquitous ojek drivers (local motorbike taxis) are already circling the market like vultures looking for passengers.

Going to the local market is a good way to assess how a country is going. Indonesia is a country of 242 million people, with more than 40% under the age of 25. You can see the vigour of the youth, and how globally interconnected they are when they are even chatting on the mobile balanced precariously on their motorbikes. In the local buses, the ladies in their native costumes talk loudly on their handphones to their grandchildren at home. Indonesia has one of the most widespread use of Internet, including the highest membership of Facebook in Asia.