Jakarta - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Andrew Sisson announced the winners of the 2013 USAID Photo Contest which asked Indonesians for the most compelling photographs of U.S. foreign assistance in action.  The winning photographs will be on exhibit until July 31 at @america, the United States' state-of-the-art cultural center.  Admission is free to the public.

"These images illustrate some of the incredible work that our projects have done across Indonesia and the impact they have on people's lives," said USAID Mission Director Sisson.  "We invite everyone to visit the exhibition at @america and see the photos in person."

From marine conservation to maternal child health to anticorruption, the photos illustrate the vast reach of USAID-managed projects in health, environment, education, and democracy and governance across Indonesia.

"I wanted to show how citizens who live in distant villages can get their birth certificates in a timely manner," said first prize winner Ruth Panjaitan.  "I hope that all courts can provide the same quality public services to every Indonesian citizen."

The 15 finalist photos featured in the photo exhibition were selected from approximately 100 submissions from individuals and USAID's partner organizations.  Thousands of Indonesians voted for their favorite photos on Facebook.

The following are the winners:

• First Place: "Satisfied Smile when Justice Served" by Ruth Stephani Panjaitan with 1,264 votes.
• Second Place: "I love reading!" by Dian Kusuma Dewi with 1,144 votes.
• Third Place: "I am Papuan, I am Indonesian" by Luthfi Ashari with 535 votes.

To view the photos of the 15 photo contest finalists, visit http://tinyurl.com/mjukfkz .

The United States and Indonesia have been partnering for more than 50 years to improve the lives of Indonesians.