Shelters struggle to help women and prevent abortions

Shelters struggle to help women and prevent abortions

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

When Galuh Pratiwi, 25, found out one morning early this year
that she was three weeks pregnant, she felt like her world had
turned upside down.

Her boyfriend, an employee of a multinational
telecommunications company in Jakarta, avoided responsibility,
demanding that she have an abortion.

"I looked for any available information about abortion, but
honestly, deep in my heart, I did not want it (the abortion),"
Galuh, a student of the School of Psychology at the University of
Indonesia (UI) told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

She eventually found the name of someone who could help her,
Dr. Angela, through the Internet.

Galuh met Angela in person six weeks into her pregnancy.

"I was told of a shelter where I could stay during my
pregnancy. Angela said there were several houses that were
willing to take care of my baby temporarily," said Galuh, who
decided to keep her baby and now stays in a shelter in Jakarta.

She decided to take leave from her studies for the term of her
pregnancy, while her boyfriend abandoned her. Her parents,
meanwhile, have refused to welcome her into their home while she
is pregnant.

With her pregnancy now 32 weeks along, Galuh is expecting to
give birth sometime in December.

Galuh is just one of the women who doctor, Angela N. Abidin,
has persuaded not to have an abortion.

According to Angela -- an activist with non-profit
organization the Love Life Movement (FKPK), some 50 pregnant
women have approached her over the past one and a half years.

Some 20 FKPK activists met at Saint Carolus Hospital in
Central Jakarta on Wednesday, to join in a discussion with Thomas
Euteneur, the chairman of U.S.-based pro-life group Human Life
International.

"They are mostly university students aged between 20 and 25
years old. When they first came to me, most of them demanded an
abortion," Angela, who is also a practitioner at Saint Carolus
Hospital, told the Post.

"However, abortion is not an option for us. Do not even think
it is the best solution for an unwanted pregnancy," said Angela.

Abortion is illegal in Indonesia, but according to the FKPK,
the number of abortions in the country stands at around two
million annually.

According to Director General of the Ministry of Health's
Community Health Development Agency Azrul Azwar, at least two
women die in childbirth every hour. Fifty percent of those women
die after having an abortion.

Angela said she always tries to encourage women to keep their
babies. "During their pregnancy, if they are ashamed of their
situation, we can provide them with shelter," she said.

There are currently two shelters affiliated with the movement
in Jakarta. "We provide them with the minimum cost of living,
about Rp 250,000 (US$28) a month," said Angela.

She said the FKPK allocates up to Rp 1 million for every woman
it takes care of, which covers the salaries of staff at the
shelters. "At Saint Carolus hospital, we even offer an Early Home
Labor package, which allows the mother to leave the hospital
after 24 hours. She only needs to pay Rp 500,000."

Aside from the FKPK, Rumah Kita (Our House) also offers
temporary shelter for unmarried pregnant women.

Jeanny Widodo of Rumah Kita told the Post on Wednesday that
her group also provides temporary shelter for the victims of
incest and rape.

Lily Anwar from the Rumpun Lestari Foundation told the Post
that the foundation provides accommodation for migrant workers
who were raped by their former employers abroad and became
pregnant.

"Our main objective is to reunite families. We realize that
the best place for children is with their mothers. We try to get
them (the mothers) vocational training or even jobs, so they can
support themselves and their babies," said Lily.

She said her group had successfully reunited 45 babies with
their mothers in the last three years. "We are open to taking
care of the baby while the mother tries to get her life back in
order. The baby can stay with us for up to two years," said Lily.

"However, some babies are just left unwanted, we should give
them up for adoption. However, the selection process must be very
tight," said the woman, who is taking care of 67 babies at the
moment.

Lily said she prefers that babies are returned to their
biological mothers rather than cared for by foster parents.

"One of the women who came to me, and gave up her baby for
adoption, is still traumatized. She often cries in her sleep
remembering her baby," said Lily.

"She always wants to give her child a birthday present,
however, she is worried that it could create problems for his
foster parents," she said.

Meanwhile, Euteneur told the discussion on Wednesday that
women who have abortions may experience difficulties afterward.

"Those women are more likely to have problems with alcohol,
drugs -- broken relationships, broken families -- to think about
or commit suicide, suffer emotional trauma, have dreams about
their (unborn) babies or remember their (unborn) babies. Women
can never forget that," said Euteneur.

"Abortion is violent, however it has become big business
everywhere. To abort a 10-week-old fetus costs about $300 (in the
United States)," he said.