Lestari provides homeless kids with a roof over their heads

By Tarko Sudiarno and Nugroho CH

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The sight of the middle-aged woman walking toward them was enough to tear the gaggle of under-fives from their play.

"Mbah (Grandma) Tari!" they cried repeatedly as they rushed over to her, each trying to grab her attention.

It's the daily scene at a home run by the Aulia Foundation on Jl. Samirono 11A. And the woman, Lestari, 57, is the founder of the foundation for abandoned and homeless children.

Lestari has never married, instead devoting her life to helping the unfortunate. Her interest in the social cause began when she was young. In 1976, while working as a schoolteacher in Jakarta, she spent her spare time caring for homeless and street children left during the day by their parents, most of whom were scavengers.

She balanced her commitments as a teacher and social worker for years, before realizing she had to make a choice between the two. She gave up teaching, and dedicated herself to helping children in the capital.

Lestari also succeeded in collecting donations to rent a shelter for the children. Word of mouth led to more and more children, mostly the marginalized and especially children of unmarried mothers, coming to the home.

"They were the most vulnerable victims of Jakarta's hard life. They are the weakest creatures who cannot defend themselves from their parents' destitution. That's why they have to be taken from their parents' care. It's for their own future," Lestari said.

But the cost of living in Jakarta was high and in 1995 she decided to move to Yogyakarta, taking all of the children in her care with her.

"It (the rent) was always raised every year, up to two times higher. I didn't have enough money to rent the home. That's why I decided to move here."

The main home is at Samirono 11A, which she inherited from her parents. She also rents two homes nearby at Samirono 25A and Iromejan.

Samirono 11A is for under-fives. The houses at Samirono 25 A and Iromejan are for children of elementary school age. There are also nine other children under Lestari's care who are junior high school students. They are in Ganjuran orphanage in Bantul regency.

Lestari looks after 55 children with the help of 15 women who receive an honorarium from the Aulia Foundation. All the children address the volunteers as "Mama", but call Lestari "Mbah".

Lestari uses her own rules of management in running the foundation, including a ban on the adoption of the children.

"What we are doing is just taking over their parents' responsibility in looking after them. They are still the children of their parents. That's why we never let anyone adopt them, although there are many who are willing to do so," she said.

Lestari is committed to the principle, believing the emotional relationship between the children and their biological parents must be maintained. She requires parents occasionally to visit their children, with the foundation paying their expenses.

"That's why the children here, from an early age, have been capable of differentiating between their biological parents and their foster ones," said Lestari.

The foundation covers all the children's expenses -- money for processing their birth certificate, food and clothing, school. Lestari said she was willing to pay the children's school fees from playgroup to university, "it completely depends on the children's interest and brain capability to do so".

The children are also instructed in the practical knowledge needed to run a home industry, such as producing handicrafts, making salted duck eggs or running small stores. Such skills are considered important because not all of the children have the capability to go on to higher education.

"The skills are also important to prevent them from living a hard life like that of their parents," she added.

The foundation currently runs a small store at Samirono 25A for the children to gain hands-on knowledge about salesmanship.

"The store is not really meant as a source of income. Rather, it is designed as a medium for the children to learn how to run it properly," Lestari said.

The Rp 8 million to Rp 10 million monthly needed for the children's care and honorariums is from donations.

Lestari said she never asks for donations, trusting that God would guide others to show their good will.

"The fact that we never experience either a lack of donations or surplus is proof. Donations keep coming in even without them being asked for ... That's why we never beg for them.

"What is important is that we should use all the donations we get for the children's needs. If we do so, there will not be any suspicion that the donations are not properly used or embezzled. People will voluntarily come and make donations."

Lestari's activities led a herbal medicine company to award her the Sido Muncul Award in 1999 for her service to homeless and abandoned children.

"Thankfully there is an institution that is concerned about this. I actually never think about awards. For me, it's the children's future that matters. It's much more important than an award."