The presence of Ipda Kadek Sumerta has changed the perceptions of\nchildren with disabilities at the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation in\nGianyar, Bali. Initially, these children were afraid to interact with\nthe police.<\/p>\n
Now, they are no longer afraid. They see the police presence as a\nsign of care and concern for them.<\/p>\n
The story of Ipda Sumerta\u2019s involvement was shared by the founder of\nthe Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation, Putu Suryati, when contacted by\ndetikcom on Thursday (19\/2\/2026). Ipda Sumerta is a candidate for the\nHoegeng Corner 2025 award and has been nominated again for the Hoegeng\nAwards 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter getting to know Pak Sumerta, he often visited our foundation,\nand the way he guided and taught the children there, we became close,\nand they felt loved. As a result, the children respect him,\u201d said\nPutu.<\/p>\n
Putu said that Ipda Sumerta began his involvement with the foundation\nin 2017. At that time, Sumerta was serving as a Bhabinkamtibmas\n(Community Police Officer) in Siangan Village.<\/p>\n
After that, Ipda Sumerta was assigned as the Head of the Criminal\nInvestigation Unit at the Tampaksiring Police Station, Gianyar Police,\nand is now the Head of Unit 1 of the Special Operations Unit of the\nCriminal Investigation Unit at the Blahbatuh Police Station, Gianyar\nPolice, Bali Police. Although his duty station has changed, Ipda Sumerta\ncontinues to visit the foundation regularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven after he was transferred, I think it was twice, but he still\nmade time for us, the people with disabilities at the Bhakti Senang Hati\nFoundation. And it\u2019s still the same now,\u201d said Putu.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are 130 children being cared for at the foundation.\nTwenty of them live at the foundation, while the rest live at their\nrespective homes.<\/p>\n
Putu explained that Ipda Sumerta teaches the children reading,\nwriting, and English. In addition, Ipda Sumerta also encourages them to\nbecome more independent in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe foundation teaches people with disabilities to be independent.\nAfter they become independent, Pak Sumerta also helps them find\nopportunities, and they are assisted in finding jobs after leaving the\nfoundation,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Putu said that Ipda Sumerta\u2019s presence has had a very positive\nimpact. There has been a change in the children\u2019s perceptions, from\ninitially being afraid of the police to now feeling loved.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually, when someone new comes, we keep our distance, but with Pak\nKadek, since he started guiding us, we all feel the same. He helps build\nindependence and confidence, which is the most important thing,\u201d said\nPutu.<\/p>\n
A similar story was also shared by the manager of the Bhakti Senang\nHati Foundation\u2019s gallery, Sang Ayu Nyoman Puspa. Ayu knows Ipda Sumerta\nas a humane police officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, he is a different kind of police officer. In the past, we\nwere afraid of the police. But after meeting him, that fear disappeared\nbecause he is now like family,\u201d said Ayu.<\/p>\n
Ayu praised Ipda Sumerta\u2019s friendly approach to the children at the\nfoundation. Ipda Sumerta is said to often help with whatever the\nfoundation needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is involved in everything. Whatever we need at the foundation, he\nhelps us,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Ayu said that Ipda Sumerta has become a father figure to the children\nat the foundation. Sumerta cares for all the children there without\nmaking any distinctions.<\/p>\n
Ipda Sumerta\u2019s Story<\/p>\n
In the Hoegeng Corner 2025 program, Ipda Sumerta shared the story of\nhow he became involved with the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation. When he\nwas serving as a Bhabinkamtibmas in Siangan Village in 2017, Ipda\nSumerta initially visited the homes of residents.<\/p>\n
During his visits, he discovered the Bhakti Senang Hati Foundation,\nwhich at that time was not well-known. Sumerta then visited the\nfoundation and met with people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Due to limited interaction with the police, the residents were\ninitially afraid of Sumerta\u2019s presence in his police uniform. However,\nover time, Sumerta was able to explain that he was there to listen to\ntheir concerns and problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to explain that we were there as Bhabin, and that if they\nhad any concerns or problems, they could share them with us,\u201d said\nSumerta.<\/p>\n
As time went on, Sumerta also began providing learning materials to\nthe teenagers at the foundation, such as introducing letters and\nnumbers. He encouraged the children who did not have a school diploma to\ntake the Paket C (equivalent to a high school diploma).<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I came there every day, they started to enjoy it, so I\ncontinued to teach them to read and write,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sumerta explained that the foundation was founded by Putu Suryati\naround 2015. For its daily operational costs, the foundation does not\nhave any regular donors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey find their own way by selling paintings because some of the\nresidents can paint, selling handicrafts, and receiving assistance from\nvolunteers, the community, and government agencies,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The foundation cares for about 90 people with disabilities who do not\nlive in the dormitory. In total, there are about 110 people, with 90\nliving outside and 20 living in the foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose in the dormitory are only those who are still single; those\nwho are married do not live there,\u201d said Sumerta.<\/p>\n
For the people with disabilities who live outside the dormitory,\nSumerta helps them develop job opportunities through a community that\nprovides tourist services using three-wheeled motorcycles. For this, he\nworks with travel agencies around the foundation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I checked, they did not have the necessary legal documents,\nespecially a driver\u2019s license. They did not understand what they needed\nto pay attention to, especially safety on the road, and what kind of\nmotorcycle they should use. I helped them prepare motorcycles that were\nsuitable and safe, and I tried to find out what the requirements were\nfor obtaining a driver\u2019s license for people with disabilities. After I\nfound out, I helped them, and now, out of the 98 members with\ndisabilities under the foundation, about 40 have driver\u2019s licenses and\nhave the necessary legal documents,\u201d said Sumerta.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not all.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/how-police-officer-ipda-sumerta-built-trust-and-supported-a-disability-foundation-in-gianyar-1771995688", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }