| Jodie O'Shea Orphanage - Correspondence |
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Post Your Comments!
From time to time we'll publish letters and comments from supporters and visitors to the orphanage.
by Manish Kumar 18 Apr 2013
Hi ,awesome work you r doing!!! Today I visited your website.
The kids look so happy, what a wonderful place you have. Its my please if I do somethings for these lovely kids.
God bless u all..........
With Regards,
Manish .....
by Sean Morgan 07 Mar 2013
OMG im coming in 4 months time i came in feb and spent most my stay in bali with you guys and looooooved every minute came home and got sick and rebooked to come straight back and now im going to be living with you guys for 3 weeks!!!
cant wait love you guys sooo much xxxxx
keep smiling and see you soon :) .....
by An Old Friend. 20 Feb 2013
I spent my childhood growing up with Jodie.There was always one thing about her you couldnt help but love and that was her smile.
To see the smiles on these childrens faces allows us (her friends)to not only cope with the loss,but to see her smile through those children at the orphanage.
May the children receive the love they deserve and those no longer with us smile upon you all.
.....
by Amanda Mortimer 27 Jan 2013
I have been working as a volunteer in thei beautiful place for the last three weeks and I have to say that I was slightly nervous as to how I might feel. Now my time is over I have been touched by the love and warmth at the Jodie O'Shea orphanage, it is truely a family, full of laughter and support. I have learned so much and see the beautiful side of us humans. On average we have 4 groups of visitors a day bringing things for the children, playing football, singing songs, organising art classes. Great people helping the orphanage and of course the wonderful staff who run this great home, lots of love and kindness, not to mention the founders Alsion and Yonek, amazing inspiring selfless people. The Jodie O'Shea orphanage experience will change you, for the better. .....
by Agus Putrawan 16 Jan 2013
by Woodsen 11 Jan 2013
i like all the kids they are very friendly . i'll come next year. i'd like pick one of the kids there for shopping what they need . .....
by Janet Bawden 23 Dec 2012
On Wednesday the 19th December my daughter Teagan Hudson and I visited JOS and represented the Gift Of Love project 2012 {a project I started in 2011 to give Christmas presents to children in an orphanage in Bali} and brought with us a few supplies from the wish list and a few added bonuses for the beautiful children of Jodie O’Shea. It was a sheer delight to see the smiles on their faces and our honour to of made a difference in their lives. The staff does a wonderful job of caring for the kids and all of them look happy and loved, it was a most heart-warming experience spending the afternoon with you and one I hope we can do again. Love from Janet, Teagan and the Gift Of Love project 2012 xx
.....
by Anna Davison 18 Dec 2012
In October this year our family visited the orphanage. We have been to Bali many times and finally decided it was time to give back.
We had a wonderful time visiting the Jodie O'Shae's. The kids are so happy and engaging. We decided our contribution would be to purchase food supplies for the 50+ children. It was a wonderful experience for my husband and I to do a BIG shop of fresh fruit, vegetables, proteins (seafood, chicken, red meat, eggs, etc) and other essentials knowing that we are contributing to the children's good nutrition. 2 of the resident boys and the orphanages most humble driver took us on our shopping outing. Our 2 kids (6 and 3yrs) got to experience what it feels like to give back and help others - it's so important for kids to understand what it is to "give".
Thank you for your hospitality! The atmosphere at the orphanage is one of warmth and love.
.....
by Patrick & Wendy 17 Dec 2012
Hi guys,
After hearing all about Jodie and Allisons story we decided to make a donation to your orphanage. Usaully at Xmas time we get family and friends a gift even tho most have everything they want already...so we decided this year on behalf of our familys that we will make a donation to the orphanage. We have given them a card just to say we have given a donation on their behalf and im sure they will appreciate that allot more than a gift they may not need or want. I hope we can start a nice tradition of this as we think its a great way to spread the xmas cheer. We will be there in 2013 to visit you all and I have a spare guitar I am taking with me to donate to the orphanage. Wishing you all a Merry Xmas. Love Patrick & Wendy .....
by Irene Stewart 09 Dec 2012
My friend sue from Perth and myself from Melbourne visited the Jodie O'shea orphanage today armed with a heaps of toys ....they joy on the faces of all the kids here is wonderful..the staff are devoted and friendly and we were even invited to share lunch....happy contented gorgeous children made our visit delightful and the response to a few cheap toys so good we spent the rest of the afternoon buying more for them and we are looking forward to going back tomorrow and spend more time chatting ands getting to know them a bit better...anyone who has spare time in Bali should come and visit this awe inspiring orphanage and meet some of the nicest people you will have the pleasure of knowing...i had the amazing chat with 2 yoiung men...Josef and Yanti..and have a memory that will stay in my heart forever and hopefully prompt me to do more to help...Irene Stewart .....
by Sue Thomson 26 Nov 2012
Thank you so much for your hospitality during our visit on 19 November 2012. It was very inspiring to see the work you are all doing and the kids so happy and healthy. Sounds like they are all doing well in school and have a great future to look forward to.
Next time we visit we will practice our balloon animals before we come so hopefully they will actually resemble something!!
Hope to be back to see you all before too long.
Lots of Love and best wishes,
Sue, Shan, Erin, Lisa, Brenda, Kim & Vicki
.....
by Jodie O'Shea 07 Nov 2012
My name is also Jodie O'Shea and I just wanted to say what a fantastic job you are all doing! You are making a big difference in children's lives!! Sending loads of love to everyone!! xxxx .....
by Agus Putrawan 12 Oct 2012
You do awesome job : .....
by Grant Connell 08 Oct 2012
Hi ,awesome work your doing,I'm a 48yr man from Perth who has two daughters of his own and have recently had a stroke and wish to help in anyway I can, right now I am undergoing rehab but next year I should be able to lend my services to build anything you need a hand with my email is gbcelec@yahoo.com looking forward to hearing from you guys .
Grant .....
by carol ferguson 07 Oct 2012
thanks so much for letting a group of us visit the kids, we were so amazed to see the kids faces when the balloons came out so hard to believe a bag of balloons can make a child so happy, i cant wait to come again next year, i have started getting more clothes for the kids, and also put word out that sheets are needed also and bags of balloons, i hope the guitar is getting lots of use, keep up the good work xoxox .....
by Janet Bawden 07 Oct 2012
watched the story on 7's sunday night show, your dedication, love and passion to give the children of Bali a better life is inspirational Alison, I look forward to meeting you and your kids in December. "may we continue to bring light into the lives of our children" thank you for the fabulous quote and I wish you abundant success. Kind Regards Janet xx .....
by Monica Dougan 07 Oct 2012
I too, just watched your story on channel 7's Sunday Night Program. What Amazing work you guys have done! You must be soo Proud of what you have achieved. As I am sure Jodie is, watching from above... We are travelling to Bali in December, and would dearly love to bring these beautiful children in your care, items from your "Wish List"... We will look forward to coming to visit you all. .....
by Sharon Lecchi 07 Oct 2012
I was so lucky to have watched Sundays program tonight...It made me smile soooo much!To see how love,determination and vision can change children's lives. Thank you so much.I will be visiting Bali in November,and cannot wait to visit you and your wonderful family.Jodie would be so proud....
sending love
Sharon .....
by Wayne Chandler 07 Oct 2012
Just saw you guys on Sunday Night program in Australia. You are doing truly fantastic work. The kids look so happy, what a wonderful place you have. ope the donation helps.
.....
by Maggie 07 Oct 2012
I truly don't want to be disrespectful. Just watched the show and it was moving and I pray she alive to see it . .....
by Tiziana McKenzie 07 Oct 2012
I have just finished listening to your amazing story on 'Sunday Night' Program on Channel 7 in Australia. I immediately went onto your website and how grateful I am to have sourced you. You are truly amazing in giving these beautiful children such a warm, loving and balanced life and the opportunity to be given the tuition to make them better citizens and the chance to one day be parents and carry through the fine example which you have taught them. My husband and I are planning to revisit Bail in the near future and I would feel so privileged if we could call in to meet you and your extended family. In the meantime, please let me know how we can contribute to making a small difference to your wonderful legacy. Big hugs to you all. Tiziana and Brian .....
by Tiziana McKenzie 07 Oct 2012
I have just finished listening to your amazing story on 'Sunday Night' Program on Channel 7 in Australia. I immediately went onto your website and how grateful I am to have sourced you. You are truly amazing in giving these beautiful children such a warm, loving and balanced life and the opportunity to be given the tuition to make them better citizens and the chance to one day be parents and carry through the fine example which you have taught them. My husband and I are planning to revisit Bail in the near future and I would feel so privileged if we could call in to meet you and your extended family. In the meantime, please let me know how we can contribute to making a small difference to your wonderful legacy. Big hugs to you all. Tiziana and Brian .....
by Penny Anderson 07 Oct 2012
I just heard about the Orphanage on the TV program "Sunday Night" channel 7 in Australia.
I didn't know it existed!!!
I went onto FaceBook to see if there was a page for the Orphanage.
I was wondering how could I share information about the Jodie O'Shea Orphanage through the social media like FaceBook?
Maybe people would like to use the "Chipin" and help with donating some money if the Orphanage and how it was formed and why its called the name it is, if it was more widely known about.
I will keep in contact with you and see what I can do to help.
I will keep my "thinking cap" on and see what I come up with.
Your doing a wonderful wonderful thing for the children of Bali.
Kindest regards from an Aussie who visited Bali in 1998 with my now late Husband.
He had been visiting Bali every year for the previous 21 years and died unexpectedly the next year in 1999.
When we were there, he actually said....I wont be back again.
True to his word and he loved Bali.
.....
by Alex MacClein 15 Sep 2012
by Alex MacClein 15 Sep 2012
by Harri from Asia Exchange 03 Sep 2012
I visited Jodie O'Shea with my girlfriend. We very much liked what we saw and heard. The study abroad organization Asia Exchange (http://www.asiaexchange.org), which I work for, would be interested in working with you to ensure educational and good living opportunities for the children.
Hope to see you soon again! .....
by Melanie 28 Jun 2012
I’ve been at Jodie’O Shea for 9 months now. So when Babe, the co-founder ask me to help taking 20 children back home to Sumba, I jumped in with both feet ! I felt so blessed being part of that trip, of that return to grass roots for all of these loving children.
On June 14th , we board on AWU, the 4 levels ship (!) which would get us to Sumba : 19 Jodie O’shea Sumbanese children, the school driver Om Kobus and me, their big sister.
After 3 nights spend on the ship, we finally arrived on the Sandalwood Island, Sumba.
I’m afraid words won’t be powerful enough to describe with our arrival on Sumba.
Parents, uncles, brothers, cousins, even grand-parents were stand here to welcome us in such a joyfull atmosphere. How wonderful it was to see all these women, men and children faces filled with emotion, with joy and tenderness. This family reunion, which all our lovely kids and their families have looked forward to so much, got the best of me, brought me tears, lovely joyful tiny tears. I’ve never seen such an emotional powerful moment. I feel so blessed for having had this great pleasure to be there with them, accompanying them on this special moment. Pure happiness.
Then, we spent 2 hours trip under the sun, all crowding in a huge open sky truck (!).
Our kids finally reached their home, their family houses. “Welcome to my life !” they said.
I arrived in a local village called Tanarara where houses were built on stilts, wooden houses with bamboo slats floor. Only two concrete houses in the village, and lucky me, I was housed in one of them !
Most of our children families houses do not have electricity, do not have bed nor mattress, nor tape water, nor table, nor chair. They sleep on a bamboo mat, all together with their little brothers and sisters.
I also helped cooking in their straw-made kitchen, resumed as a 5l backed clay cauldron put on a wood fire directly on the dirt floor, usually out of the house.
Then, on Thursday, some of the kids brought me in a mud marsh to catch fishes for lunch ! I was funny, muddy but funny ! I was really impressed by the children abilities to catch those slippery fishes with such dexterity ! Then, we cleaned ourselves in the river nearby. After that, I was invited to share these meaty fishes we’ve just catched in the mud. It was delicious !
I wouldn’t say that everyday meal is divin in Sumba, no. Because “everyday meal” is only rice. No veggies, no meat, no fish, no tofu, but only steamed rice with salt or chilly. But to celebrate our venue, the kids families offered us some celebration meals, which were very simple, but very tasty :
At Nyong’s house I enjoyed a traditional salted pork broth, at Adol’s we shared this delicious freshly catched fried fishes, and at Yon & Yanti’s I had this very famous grilled “ayam Kampung” meaning “organic chicken”.
We had a lot of fun and emotion during this meals and discussions. It was an honor to be welcomed in their traditional houses, and share celebration meals with our kids families.
On Wednesday, Yunus, Andri, Risal and Runi joined me to bring every houses pencils and veggies ! It was Sumbanese Christmas, I swear ! Children and parents were so greatful.. whereas I was just bringing some basics pencils, color pencils and pens. The joy on their faces, this happiness, I’ll never forget it. I couldn’t imagine that such basics supplies could affected them so much.
After a week deep down in their village, I realize that this population, which are our kids’ parents and families, live in a very fragile condition, in a precarious situation which don’t allowed them to take care and responsibility of feeding their own children. On their looks I saw love and pride for their children, for these children that they let go in order to protect them from malnutrition and mortal diseases such as Malaria, which infect 1/5 children on Sumba island.
Their children that, with love, education, rules, and love again, Jodie O’Shea team do her bring them to a brighter future full of knowledge, life skills and responsibilities. On their faces, I read gratitude for me, for us all, Jodie O’Shea team.
As a conclusion, I’d say that :
I saw where our children are from, I saw their families precariousness and health problems. This unforgettable trip deep down in THEIR home life made me realize how important and crucial is our work here in Bali at the Orphanage. Above all, how crucial is the Sponsors and Visitors continuous support, to make a change for our 59 kids. Today, our kids use to smile, let’s make this still.
THANK YOU - TERIMA KASIH - MERCI - LIMALANGU -
Remerciements : Thanks to Adol, Erik, Wani, Runi, Roni, Rince, Melda, Nike, Sandra, Yunus, Rian, Andri, Melvi, Risal, Nesta, Alex, Yon and Yanti and their families for their help, their smiles and their hospitality which deeply touched me.
Thanks to Ari, Ibu Yanti, Ibu Lili , Mbak Aries, Om Kobus, Om Maxi, Ndotur, Meme and their family for their support.
Finally and above all, Thanks to Ibu Alison, Pak Yanto, Pupapa and our unforgettable Ibu Dorkas Hary, who all together bring this joyfull hope in each of ‘our’ Jodie O’Shea children’s hearts.
.....
by Melonie Vujicic 10 Dec 2011
Dear Charles and Alison,
thank you to you and the awesome staff for allowing my family (my Mum, Dad, husband and 4 children and myself) to come to your home to see the wonderful work you are doing. It moved me to see how they are cared for but also how much more is needed to continue to do what you do for these beautiful children. I so badly wanted to take Sophia home with me xxxx I am going to be starting a fundraiser for the orphange in January and I have contacted Roslyn for details for the fundraiser in Perth. My children are different people after seeing how lucky they are and are talking about saving their clothes and books to bring next time for the kids. Thank you again for allowing us into your home.
Love Mel xxx .....
by Susan Deane 12 Nov 2011
What a wonderful time we had on our visit to the orphanage.
We met the beautiful children, played games , listened to story time and my son's enjoyed a game of soccer with the boys. The children are all so happy and so cared for by the staff. Hope to see you again next year.
Susan xx .....
by GUIMARON Célia et Christine 04 Nov 2011
Thank you for this moment with the children. What a happiness to see them smiling!
We hope to return to Bali one day.
Thank you, thank you... .....
by Irene Stewart 12 Oct 2011
My family... 2 daughters and 3 grand daughters visited this wonderful orphanage in September 2011. My 15 year old grand daugher Molly now hopes to do 3 weeks volunteer work there. The laughter and the happiness from the gorgeous children are a credit to the staff and volunteers. Knowledge of Jodie O'Shea orphanage should be at all Australian schools.Even small donations can make a huge difference. I am skipping every second LATTE` and putting that money aside to be added to what I am giving next time I go to Bali. Amazing how quickly this ads up. Some friends are doing the same so hopefully I will be making a large donation..The smiles on the faces of 5 little children running under a hose the first day I visited has not left me.
.....
by Leanne Newland 30 Aug 2011
Hello from western australia
Myself, mu husband and three children are coming to visit Bali on the 5th october. We would like to provide you with some of the things on your wish list and wondered how it could be possible to visit you all and see the wonderful things you are doing.
Kind regards
Leanne newland .....
by Linda McNamara 21 Aug 2011
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to visit the Jodie O'Shea Orphanage during our stay in Bali in August, 2011. The tour provided by Aries was great, it was a delight to meet the children and see first hand how happy they are living with their big family. Regards The McNamara and Groves Families .....
by Lynette Wood 31 Jul 2011
Thankyou to you all for opening your home to allow us to visit last week. We enjoyed talking and playing with the kids and will be sure to come again when we visit in January.
Lynette, Alan & Hayley .....
by Samantha Farham, Marketing & Events Manager - The Chefs Toolbox 06 Jul 2011
WOW! what an amazing job Alison and the team at the Jodie O’Shea orphanage do for the most amazing, inspiring children we have ever met!
130 of our sales Consultants and their partners were lucky enough to meet these truly magical children on Sunday 26 June this year during our annual conference in Bali.
We spent a wonderful morning with the children in a team building activity making sand castles where I think the adults had as much fun as the children!
We were also proud to present Alison with a cheque for $1,202 dollars raised between February and May at our monthly sales meetings, which we know will go a long way in the care of these amazing children. There was not a dry eye in the house when the children got up on stage and sang “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson!
On Monday 27 June David Mills, our Founder , Emma Lankshear and I were privileged enough to visit the orphanage and see firsthand what an amazing job everyone at the Jodie O’Shea orphanage do.
Our donations didn’t end there with 2 vans of donated items! This included clothes, toys, bed linen, tooth brushes, colouring in pencils to name a few, and along with that we raised additional cash donations coming close to 41 MILLION Rupiah!
We are pleased to report that all the money we donated will be put towards a heavy duty washing machine, as well as food and other incidentals for at least 2 months!
I would like to thank all our Consultants who contributed in any way to this amazing cause, and to Alison and the staff at the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage – you do an AWESOME job!
I believe we have all made friends for life and you will see many of us again and again!
I have included a link of our highlights clip if you would like to see how the children of Jodie O’Shea touched our hearts! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JxhHr9QXb8
These are just a few comments from our sales Consultants who were in Bali and had the pleasure of meeting the children;
“I am proud to be a Chefs Toolbox Consultant. Well done everyone you are all amazing!”
“Those kids were so amazing and inspirational. Definitely not a dry eye in sight!”
“A fantastic result for such very special people!” .....
by Kate, John, Alexander & Olivia Kerr 22 May 2011
Bali has always been our favorite family holiday destination & while there
in November 2010 our family was fortunate enough to visit the Jodie O Shea
Orphanage.
While there we met the most amazing & happy children who were having lots of
fun. Our biggest pleasure was finding out that the main focus of the
Management Team is education.
We also totally believe that education is the
key to the future of all children. Then & there we knew we had to be more
involved in this fantastic safe haven.
A few months later we got a phone call asking if we would host Endro, a 15
year old boy, on a trip to Singapore to see a Doctor about a surgery that he
had been waiting to have done for the last 2 years. Our instant reaction
was Yes
After a short visit, many tests & the wonderful support of a donation team
in Australia, it was agreed that Endo would return to Singapore to have the
long awaited surgery & also stay at our home for the period of 1-2 months
for his recovery.
The time Endro was with us was not only a life changing experience for him,
but I am not sure if he will ever know what his smiling face did for our
family.
Having 2 children, aged 10 & 8, that have been blessed with a great life, it
was really fantastic to see them interact with Endro & show him the love &
care they did. It was amazing to see that language was no barrier &
children can play & laugh despite a language difference - we can all learn
from them.
My husband, John & I feel very blessed to have been part of this experience
& also very thankful for the wonderful new friends that we met during this.
We know our paths shall cross again.
Our hearts are open to the Jodie O Shea Orphanage forever & we look forward
to being part of another journey with them.
We shall see you all on our next visit to Bali.
Love & hugs,
Kate, John, Alexander & Olivia Kerr
Singapore
.....
by Saraswati Mish Walker
Dear Friends, I want to tell you about my visit to the the Jodie O'Shea orphanage in Denpasar Bali last week. These are my own observations from my visit and talking with Alison Chester the director of the orphanage. For direct information you should speak with Alison directly through contact information below. ( I am not a representative of the orphanage ) Maybe many of you know the story I am about to tell but I feel it is worth bringing the attention to all in case you may be able to show you support in some way. The orphanage has been built by two very dedicated souls Alison and Yanto. It is obviously a labour of love and has been named after an Australian girl Jodie who Alison nursed in Sanglah hospital during the aftermath of the first Bali bomb. Jodie passed away. When Alison tells you about Jodie's bravery and selflessness and care for others during Jodie's last hours of life you understand why she has chosen to ensure Jodie's name lives on in the spirit of giving and caring. On Thursday afternoon I went with friends to meet Alison and have a tour of the orphanage. Upon arriving each and every of the 39 children came to greet us and salam / shake hands. Yanto was sitting and playing and chatting to some of the kids like their Papa with some of the staff and one felt like you had walked into a family compound. The thing I was struck by was the organisation, cleanliness, the facilities and the environment. All clean and friendly, with a lot of care having gone into their construction and detail. The buildings are tasteful and well finished with a breeze flowing through. Most importantly the children look happy. There is an open dining area and kitchen, bright and airy with long sinks to wash one's hands and a white washed ceiling keeping it fresh and clean looking onto the garden. Some of the children are involved in meal preparation. A living room which is still being organised and looks so inviting like a family living area, large and again clean and tidy. I didn't count but there are several bedrooms each with 3 sets of bunk beds and shelves from clothes which are neatly folded. Girls are segregated from the boys. Younger children sleep in rooms with the older children so they are watched over. There are a few play areas one seems specifically for basket ball as all the boys were playing when we were there. There is another grassy area with a wall brightly painted with a mural and big trees creating a border of green. The toilet and shower blocks are all clean and well kept with plenty for all. You can see photos on the website. The children attend schools outside and are driven by the staff every day to the various schools and kindergartens. It is a home for these kids not just a place for them to stay. The children range from toddler to teenager. Some are from Bali and some are from another Island where they were rescued from an orphanage who had badly mistreated them. Many of them have faced shortage of food for a lot of their lives. Some have one parent but maybe the parent is so poor he or she cannot support and feed them. Given that there is a lot of healing to be done and this look like the perfect environment for that to take place. The kids all seem happy and as it was late afternoon lots were playing basket ball or hanging out in the garden chatting or playing with the small ones. I cant tell you how much of themselves Alison and Yanto have put into this, and their other community projects. They also set up a kindergarten project in Jogjakarta after the earthquake as well as community kindergartens in Bali. I feel they deserve the support of the community. The orphanage is run on donations but the donations are not enough to cover running costs. The food bill is Rp 3,000,000 per week. Every person has medical insurance at Rp 70,000 per month x 43 with staff. This is just the start, electricity, transportation, petrol, maintenance, toiletries, towels ,sheets etc etc. Primarily what they need is monthly consistent donations. A donation of RP 200,000 automatic debit per month multiplied by 50 or 100 can add up and help so much. Patricia Widaya at Yoga Shala is also collecting monthly donations on behalf of the orphanage. With this project you can be assured the money will get to where it is needed and intended. For those of you who are unaware there is a major racket in Indonesia and Bali where unscrupulous people run orphanages and claim to have a large amount of children when in fact there are % of the amount they claim. They get donations of money and food from private sources and even the government sources and pocket the resources for their own purposes. Some run sweat shops using the kids as forced labour. If the parents want to take them out they are charged up to one years salary to get the kids out of the orphanage. The way I see it the more we can support legitimate organisations the more of legitimate organisations will be possible forcing the others slowly but surely out of "business". There are many things that you may be able to help with. There is ³WISH LIST² on the website if you are interested to help. Most importantly is the need for donations to help with the costs of food and essentials. In other ways one can help by offering services. The children can greatly benefit by any of us in the community giving the time to share our knowledge or skills. At the moment there is one person teaching dancing once a week and the kids love it. They also need other activities i.e. painting, sports organised games, singing, ceramics or anything to brighten their lives and show them there are people who care. The older children need skill development to prepare them to get into the work force. If you have a business that may be able to offer training to some of these teenagers that would also be most helpful. If you look on the website there is a wish list and also addresses for donations etc. It's really a worthwhile cause I urge you to help I know it would be so appreciated. The website is www.careforkidsbali.com Alison Chester director alison@careforkidsbali.com The project in Jogjakarta is www.bantulkindergartenproject.org The orphanage operates under the Yayasan MUM (Yayasan Manusia Untuk Masyarakat) Best wishes Saraswati Michele Walker .....
by Jo Buchanan
During the 1930s and 1940s, my parents helped in the running of the South Melbourne Mission in Market Street. At that time, South Melbourne was a slum area. Families were unable to feed and clothe their children. Fathers, husbands and brothers had become victims to two world wars, making dire situations even worse. I particularly remember Christmas time at the mission. Determined to give the children a memorable Christmas, my parents canvassed city businesses for donations, food, clothing and toys. Cigarettes were even donated for parents of the children by W. D. Wills. Mum sat up until midnight for weeks, sewing clothes for the gifts of celluloid dolls, including tiny shoes from scraps of soft leather donated by Goodchild’s Shoe Factory. She sewed floral frocks for every little girl so that they could dress up for the mission Christmas party. When the day arrived, toys were distributed by a chuckling Santa Claus (Dad) and Mum led the singing as we stood in a circle clutching flickering candles belting out All Things Bright and Beautiful. I always suspected that my father’s dedication and drive may have stemmed from the fact that he spent years of his own childhood in a Melbourne orphanage. Memories of heartfelt warmth mixed with inexplicable sadness associated with those underprivileged children, many of whom Mum and Dad brought home for visits, have stayed with me all my life. Decades have passed but never again had I encountered anything like the spirit of that mission. Well, not until the end of last year when I had the privilege of visiting a Balinese orphanage and meeting its founder and guiding light, an angel called Alison Chester. English born Alison, now an Indonesian citizen and her Balinese husband Yanto named their orphanage after Jodie O’Shea, a young Australian woman who died as a result of the Bali bombings. Alison visited Jodie and other victims in hospital after the bombings and was deeply moved by Jodie’s courage, dignity and strength, explaining that she and her husband named their orphanage after Jodie as a reminder that out of the most tragic events, truly wonderful acts of humanitarianism can blossom. “Since 2005 when we opened our orphanage, the children have undergone an amazing transformation. All of them arrived here malnourished, not all of them orphans. Their parents were simply unable to feed and clothe them. The decision to send them to an orphanage to provide them with a better life must have been a difficult and heartbreaking one.” Initially many of the families had entrusted their children to an orphanage that subjected them to severe physical, mental and emotional abuse, including the administration of electric shocks. Alison’s orphanage began after she and her husband Yanto chose to give money and time to the corrupt one, not realising at first that the children were being abused and the monetary donations embezzled. When they found out, they put a plan into place to save fifteen of the children, taking them into their own home until, with the aid of donations from local communities and businesses, their own orphanage was built. Even while it was being constructed, ‘heavies’ were employed by the owners of the corrupt one to intimidate and threaten them. Alison’s orphanage is now home to over forty children who are experiencing a life they could never have dreamed of, including a healthy diet, an education, being nurtured and cared for and having the freedom to simply be children. A couple of years ago, my daughter Simone became patron of the Jodie O’Shea orphanage and visits regularly. In September of last year I was thrilled to be able to accompany her. Simone, along with Michael Klim, Australia’s gold medallist Olympic swimmer, had been asked to launch a project that the orphanage is affiliated with – the Sumba Water Project. Many of the orphanage’s children come from Sumba, an arid, poverty stricken island to the east of Bali. Although it has a population of 10,000 people, there is no running water, few toilets and most families cannot even afford to buy rice. The orphanage became involved with the Sumba Water project in a bid to build 50 wells within the next two years, the cost of one well being US $1,000. The launch was an emotionally charged evening. Michael and his wife Lindy were so affected by the plight of thousands of desperately poor Sumbans, they committed themselves to ongoing involvement and Michael is now patron of the wells project. The entire time I visited there, I found myself fighting back tears as childhood memories of the South Melbourne mission flooded back. Seeing how the Balinese orphans loved my daughter reminded me of how the mission children had loved my parents. When I asked about the future of the children in her care, Alison said, “We have to be able to recognise their skills and also consider which qualifications would be useful in their own villages if they return. At the moment they are attending local primary schools and the Australian International School allows them to use their computer laboratory. Some of the children have received scholarships through local soccer teams and surfing clubs. We will continue to support them into adulthood and make sure they become established in jobs most suited for each individual.” Alison, herself a mother and grandmother, wakes at 4 AM every day and often works until 9 at night. The love and light she emanates touches everyone; children, workers, volunteers, the entire community. When we arrived in Bali, the water lilies in our hotel’s muddy pond were closed buds. The day we departed, they had opened up, their shiny pink petals embracing the sun; a poignant reminder that from the murkiest depths, incredible beauty can arise. For more information on the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage, or to donate, visit or volunteer, please go to their website www.careforkidsbali.com. .....
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