Hello friends and sponsors,

Helen Anderson, President of Australian-Indonesian Association in Victoria (AIAV), visited Peduli Anak few months ago. I had the opportunity to take her to look around our foundation and explain about our work. She was impressed and promised to spread the word about Peduli Anak. A week later she donated two sets of carving tools for our carpentry class. She also contacted her colleague at Kang Guru Radio English in Bali to donate a teacher's pack for our English class. Several weeks later, two representatives from Kang Guru visited us bringing not only the teacher's pack but also lots of goodies for the kids and staff and they also spent some time playing English games with our kids. Thank you Helen and Kang Guru for your generous support!

Recently, Helen wrote about her visit to Peduli Anak on AIA News May 2009:

Yayasan Peduli Anak Lombok (Lombok Child Welfare Foundation)

Nestled in the rural backblocks on the western outskirts of Lombok’s capital city Mataram lays Yayasan Peduli Anak (YPA). Located less than twenty minutes drive from Mataram’s bustling marketplace Pasar Kebon Roe with its endless stream of customers travelling to and fro in jaded dokars, YPA provides a safe haven to forty-nine of the islands’ disadvantaged children who would otherwise be struggling to survive on the streets.

Cloistered away behind a brightly painted high fence, at first glance the neatly maintained complex is not unlike the neighbouring Pondok Pesantren. However, on closer inspection it is noticeably different and uniquely tailored to the specific needs of the children in its care. All of the children are Muslim aged between three and seventeen. The majority of them are boys with only a few girls and of those children around ten are teenaged. The foundation, which was formed in January 2006 with donations primarily from the Netherlands, aims to provide ongoing support and vocational training in the form of life skills to enable the children to eventually become self-sufficient. More importantly, it also caters to the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the children.

To achieve these aims, YPA is equipped with several classrooms, which offer the opportunity to develop basic literacy, English language, geography, art, music and basic computer skills such as the use of Microsoft Office. In addition to academic studies the facility also provides the boys with the chance to acquire basic carpentry and mechanical skills through ‘hands on’ experience in two separate workshops, while the girls are taught basic dress-making and sewing skills. Sport is also encouraged as the complex is equipped with a large swimming pool, basketball court and soccer field, while each of the children is provided with a bicycle. On the day of my arrival, the children were enjoying a break during the school holidays. Most were simply relaxing around the TV, some were taking the opportunity to brush up on their band practice in the music room, and others were looking forward to the planned soccer games scheduled for the following day.

In terms of administrative facilities, the office building also houses a medical dispensary, an isolation room for contagious or ailing children, and two counselling chambers. In an interview with the Assistant to the Director, Martina Natratilova explained that, ‘to ensure their physical wellbeing, a doctor visits the children regularly, a nurse is available daily, and the counsellors assess and report on their physical and emotional status to both the Director and foster parents’. All staff members are sourced locally rather than through volunteers in an attempt to provide continuity and positive long-term outcomes for the children. As an example Martina indicated that, while the foundation is in its infancy, one of the older boys has already acquired a job using the skills he learned in the machine workshop.

Set on around fifty are, YPA has ample space and the enthusiasm for the projected expansion and development of its vocational school. According to Grace Hermawan, the foundations’ grant writer and project planner, ‘external funding has already been secured for the vocational school and YPA are currently in the process of hiring teachers and developing the curriculum with local expertise’. According to Martina, in terms of teaching materials, the lack of sufficient beginner level class texts and particularly teaching textbooks remains an issue. Meanwhile the woodworking teacher suggested additional carpentry tools would be useful.

Anyone wishing to provide support by becoming involved as a member, donor or foster parent or simply wanting to access further information about Yayasan Peduli Anak can do so by visiting www.pedulianak.com

For more info on Australian-Indonesian Association in Victoria (AIAV), visit: www.aiav.org.au