Australian helps city's orphanage<\/p>\n
By Ahmad Junaidi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): There are many bizarre sights in Jakarta but one
\nday you might spot one stranger than most: a bule (foreigner)
\nriding a motorbike together with three teenage locals on board.<\/p>\n
One boy sits in front of the saddle and the other two are
\nsquashed at the back between the bule and a box.<\/p>\n
All of them wear velvet caps and the three boys wear light
\nblue T-shirts and dark blue trousers.<\/p>\n
They are not members of an oriental circus, nor even a family
\nstaging a protest against traffic regulation.<\/p>\n
The man is Australian Abang Muhammad Lorand, 48, and the three
\nyoungsters are some of the 80 boys at his orphanage on Jl.
\nKarbela in Karet Setiabudi district in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
They are on their routine ride looking for funds to pay for
\nthe Nusantara Foundation orphanage.<\/p>\n
While stopping at the City Council Thursday, Lorand told The
\nJakarta Post that his eight-year old orphanage badly needed
\ndonations to feed the boys, fund their school fees and pay for
\nother running costs.<\/p>\n
During the trips, carried out five times a week, Lorand and
\nthe boys often stop at the council building on Jl. Merdeka
\nSelatan in Central Jakarta and other state buildings and private
\noffices in the city.<\/p>\n
While making the stops, they hope people will drop money in
\nthe donation box attached to the rear of the bike.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, Lorand leaves boxes at the buildings and collects
\nthem after several days.<\/p>\n
However the money in a charity box he once put in the lobby of
\na private office in Central Jakarta was missing when he collected
\nit.<\/p>\n
\"There was initially Rp 18,000 (US$6.70) in the box but all
\nthe money disappeared when I opened the box a month later,\"
\nLorand said.<\/p>\n
He admitted that a number of noted figures, such as former
\ncity council speaker M.H. Ritonga, businessman Hashim
\nDjojohadikusumo and Marzuki Usman are major donors to his
\norphanage.<\/p>\n
But it is hard for him to depend on the big donors.<\/p>\n
\"We prefer to receive small but regular donations rather than
\na big one that comes only once,\" said Lorand.<\/p>\n
But scouring the streets for funds is not easy either.<\/p>\n
\"I have parked my motorcycle here for hours but nobody put
\nmoney in the box,\" he said on the day of interview.<\/p>\n
But Lorand and his boys have pledged never to be disappointed
\nwith their fate.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, he said, he even had to borrow rice from
\ntraders due to the scarcity of money.<\/p>\n
According to Lorand, his orphanage needs around Rp 20 million
\nper month.<\/p>\n
Lorand said 35 orphans were studying at elementary schools, 40
\nat junior high schools and five others at senior high schools.<\/p>\n
The boys went to the regular schools in the morning and
\nlearned extra studies, such as computing, sewing, English and
\nreligion, in the evening at the orphanage, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The boys mostly come from Jakarta, with a few from other
\ncities, like Palembang, Cirebon and Sukabumi. They were sent to
\nmy orphanage by their relatives,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Born in Canberra, Lorand said he loves orphans because he was
\nraised by his mother, a Rumanian-born woman who grew up in
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
Lorand visited 42 countries before he arrived in Indonesia in
\n1984 in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.<\/p>\n
A year later, Lorand moved to Jakarta and married Seminarti, a
\nwoman from Blitar, East Java, in 1986.<\/p>\n
A Moslem since 1977, Lorand and his wife performed the
\npilgrimage to Mecca last year under the sponsorship of the
\ndiversified Bimantara business group, which is chaired by
\nPresident Suharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo.<\/p>\n
Lorand and wife founded the orphanage in 1989 with only two
\norphans. His wife died last year of a stomach illness.<\/p>\n
He hopes that one day he might own a bigger building where he
\nwould be able to accommodate orphan girls.<\/p>\n
Those who want to give should contact him on (021) 5202569 or
\nsend the money to Bank Muamalat, account number 301.0018810 or
\nBank Central Asia account number 0353009572.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australian-helps-citys-orphanage-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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