Orphan babies still attracting sympathy

By K. Basrie and Christiani SA Tumelap

JAKARTA (JP): Times may be tough, but harsh realities of the crisis are not stopping compassionate members of the public from sharing what they can with children in orphanages.

In separate interviews with The Jakarta Post yesterday, administrators of Tunas Bangsa and Sayap Ibu Foundation orphanages acknowledged a decline in regular donations but said the institutions could still meet their children's needs because of assistance from individuals and companies.

"We always believe there must be good people out there even in this time of hardship," said R. Tjiptowinoto, head of the Sayap Ibu Foundation on Jl. Barito II, Kebayoran Baru, in South Jakarta.

Suparsih, head of the city-owned Tunas Bangsa orphanage in Cipayung, East Jakarta, said simply: "Thank God, we still can feed the children with nutritious food and milk."

Founded 43 years ago, privately run Sayap Ibu (literally "mother's wings") cares for 40 children aged under five years. The group includes 13 babies less than two months old and nine disabled toddlers, among them Ayu, 2, whose head has swollen to almost four times larger than normal.

City-run Tunas Bangsa currently cares for 42 children, including 10 babies, dozens of offspring of mentally ill mothers and others from destitute families.

The orphanages are among the few institutions in the city caring for neglected under-fives.

Tjiptowinoto, a volunteer worker at Sayap Ibu for 16 years, said the impact of the crisis had forced staff members to be more thrifty in purchases of food and other items for the orphanage.

"Although we've not faced too serious financial and food problems here so far, we have to be very careful in using our available resources as we don't know whether people will still want to donate to us tomorrow."

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Besides the occasional contributions from kindhearted people, Suparsih said Tunas Bangsa had been able to survive on its cash reserves and stocks of food, milk and other children's needs donated months before the crisis hit.

"Adults can go without their meals if they have to, but not the babies."

Orphanage staff and attendants are using their resources frugally to make sure they last as long as possible, she added.

Despite the available commodity stocks at the two orphanages, both Tjiptowinoto and Suparsih hoped the affluent would make contributions, in whatever form possible, to ensure the children continue to be healthy and happy.

Suparsih said it was impossible to expect the city administration's subsidy of Rp 2,000 per child a day and another Rp 1,000 per child a day contributed by the Dharmais foundation to cover all the children's needs, inclusive of meals, diapers, school fees and medicines.

"Not that I don't appreciate it," she added. "But you can imagine how we could survive without the public donations while we are supposed to provide at least Rp 15,000 for each child a day to cover all their needs."

She said at least eight people visited to contribute donations to the orphanage every month last year, but the number had dropped to only four or five a month this year.

"We even lost some foreigners who came here regularly to play and help educate the children as most of them left the country during the riots in May."

Adoptions have also tailed off.

"Normally, about two or three babies left us per month but it seems there's a break at the moment, particularly the Indonesian parents," Tjiptowinoto said.

An average of 25 toddlers at the orphanage were adopted by locals and 10 toddlers by foreigners per year.

Under the supervision of Johana Sunarti Nasution, wife of the country's most senior living army leader, Gen. (ret.) A.H. Nasution, Sayap Ibu is one of the few orphanages here holding the government permit to handle adoptions for both local and foreign couples.

The children at the two institutions still have reason to smile, particularly when some families choose to hold birthday parties for their children at the orphanages.

"The children are always very happy on such occasions. You should see the look on their faces," Suparsih said.