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Make checks payable to:
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Hope 4 Our Children
and mail it to:
Hope 4 Our Children
12411 Braxfield Ct.#6,
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (301) 637-6536
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A. DAYAH
SUBUSSALAM PROJECT
Trip to Dayah
After 2004 tsunami, Hope 4 Our
Children sent a team to conduct assessment and teacher trainings in Dayah
Subulussalam. Member of the delegations: Faizah Badeges, Founder and Board
Member, Hope 4 Our Children; Afeefa Syeed, Board Member, Hope 4
Our Children & Director, Al Fatih Academy; Fatima Salaam, Teacher, Al Fatih
Academy; Nia Seale, Teacher, Al Fatih
Academy.
Assessments of Dayah
The delegation concluded that based on numerous interviews
and neighborhood visits, the children attending the orphanage boarding school
come from highly impoverished families who are not able to afford easily the
children�s basic needs. The Dayah serves these low income families who are
striving to maintain their cultural identity in the midst of many pressures that
would have them compromise their values, heritage, and culture.
The objective of the visiting delegation was also to find
out how orphans surviving the tsunami could be served at the Dayah. The
surrounding area around Subulusalaam has a great many survivors of the tsunami,
many of who did come to the Dayah for education and shelter. But because the
structural facilities could not support so many more students, some of the
tsunami affected children had to be transferred to other places, leaving only 12
tsunami victims. The delegation found that if the basic needs of water, housing,
and staffing are met, the school can accommodate and serve more orphans from the
surrounding area. As the infrastructure is improved, those children who
otherwise would have to be placed in farther locations can be brought to Dayah
Subulusalam.
The physical condition of Dayah
1. No
toilets or running water. The dorms do not have running water,
toilets. Children and teachers must walk to the river twice a day to fetch water
with buckets. The toilets are shared outdoor facilities that also are accessible
only by walking. The students have to go to the nearest river to bath.
2. Bunk
beds. The bunk beds are only the frames, and children sleep on straw mats
instead of mattresses.
3. Electricity.
The dorms do not have electricity. The electricity bill is very high, and since
the Dayah cannot afford to pay the total amount, the lights are dim in all
places. Staff told delegation members that some children graduate the Dayah with
worsened eyesight because of this.
4. No
ceilings. The buildings that do exist are in need of repair for continued use.
In the dorms as well as the classroom buildings, the ceilings are not finished.
In the cafeteria,
neither the ceilings nor the kitchen is completed.
5. Classrooms
and mosque - under construction.
Construction
Hope 4 Our Children refurbished and
painted the four existing dorms, funded construction of running water system that
can provide necessary water in the dorms and built a bathroom in each dorm. The project made an impact in the lives of 223 children (existing disadvantaged students/orphans as well as
tsunami victims), 102 of them are live-in children. In addition, Hope 4 Our Children also provided mattresses for the live- in students in Dayah.
The current condition of the Dayah, both physically and
financially, makes it almost impossible to accept more children. Therefore, Hope
4 Our Children is supporting Dayah to be self sufficient by disbursing a capital
to start small business of crafting and mixed farming.
During the course of this year, Hope 4 Our Children has
also allocated:
- funds to cover food for children for
several months
- books, towels and
sarong and hygienic supplies for the children
Letters from Dayah Subulussalam Students
"....I want to convey my fond appreciation for your help.
I am very touched by your concerns to help us in Aceh.
I used to sleep on a straw mats, now I can sleep on a mattress.."
Jujuri's letter to Hope 4 Our Children's donors. Jujuri, a Senior in High School at Dayah Subulussalam
"...I would like to thank you for raising funds for us. It gives me motivation to learn to make cookies for Dayah. May God give friends at Hope 4 Our Children and each donor with many blessings..."
Fatima, a HS student at Dayah Subulussalam
"...I felt significant improvement and convenience in our lives at the Dayah after the help. We no longer bath at the river. If we want to have ablution for our night prayer (Tahajjud) we didn't have to go the river anymore and be afraid as we walked in the dark.
We can take ablution at our dorms since each dorm now have bathrooms.
The funds also helped build a small garage that we use for home industry to make cookies. Each student will have a turn to make cookies that we sell to markets and restaurants around our village. We also learned how to make handicrafts, such as bookmarks. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to learn how to make cookies and various handicrafts..."
Kinanti, a student at Dayah Subulussalam
"...I am very delighted for the opportunity to correspond with you and to express my sincere gratitude for Hope 4 Our Children's efforts and Al-Fatih students' efforts to help us at Dayah Subulussalam Boarding School. With your help, we felt tremendous improvement in our lives at the Dayah.
Before the help of the organization (Hope 4 Our Children) and you, the buildings were falling apart and had no ceiling. We are very happy that the buildings were refurbished and now we have running water and bathrooms.
Now we no longer have to walk to the river to bath and to have ablution.
We also are grateful for the mattress. It feels comfortable to sleep on one"
Siti's letter to Al-Fatih's students thanking them for contributing funds to Dayah by the school's fundraising effort. Siti, a student at Dayah Subulussalam
For more information on the Dayah Subussalam project, click
here
B. SIGLI PROJECT
Hope 4 Our Children donated funds toward women workshop and
free clinic equipment in Sigli are to serve the tsunami victims. Programs are
conducted by YAYASAN ILHAM in Aceh, Indonesia. In addition, Hope 4 Our Children also built a dorm in Dayah Babulilmi Boarding School and funded a duck farm.
1. Free Clinic Project
Hope 4 Our Children helped one free clinic at Sigli area.
Currently it provides free services for tsunami victims. It serves 40 to 60
patients daily. The clinic lacked medical equipment and essential medication,
such as penicillin, painkillers. The funds raised were distributed for the
following:
- medical equipment: thermometer,
blood pressure monitor, exam bed; and medication: which includes penicillin,
flu/cold/cough medicine, fever medicine, anti biotic,
diarrhea/gastrointestinal, medicines.
a doctor's stipend
three nurses' stipend
Hope
4 Our Children supplied medicine for free for the clinic as well as connects the
free clinic to a local hospital.
2. Sigli Project -To Support
Widows' Livelihood
Hope 4 Our Children helped the existing program of PII/MSA (pelajar
IslamIndonesia/Muslim Student Association) procuring sewing machines and
embroidery machines for the livelihood of more than
25 women victims of tsunami. Additionally, we disbursed funds for
training those women to sew and embroider to help them find jobs in embroidery
business and in the long run, to run their own business.
Moreover, Hope 4 Our Children worked together with
Yayasan Ilham in Sigli on teaching the women and men of tsunami victim how to
produce salted fish . We procured one packaging machine to pack shredded fish
for fish crackers home industry / small business. This industry generates income
to tsunami victims without the need of large capital and helps provide their livelihood.
3. Sigli Orphanage Project
Hope 4 Our
Children disbursed funds for two pesantrens (boarding school) benefiting about
1,000 children in Sigli. Furthermore, Hope 4 Our Children disbursed the funds raised in April 2005 fundraiser to build a dorm in Dayah Babulilmi to shelter approximately 100 economically disadvantaged children, most of them are tsunami victims and orphans.
Letter from a Dayah Babulilmi Student
"....On Sunday, December 26, 2004, there was a huge earthquake and what we later discovered as the start of the tsunami in Aceh Besar. I was just finished playing soccer with my friends and in the middle of eating delicious breakfast my mother has prepared for me and my siblings. All of a sudden, we heard people screamed "Water! Water! The tide is so high". I held my younger brother's hand and ran immediately. The water came so close to us and hit us so hard. I lost my brother's grip. I lost him. I can't see him anywhere. I was struggling to keep my head above water. The tide brought me to a wood log. I clinked tight to the wood only to realize that I was completely naked. When the water finally subsided, I searched around to find a cloth to cover me. All of a sudden reality hit me so hard. I have never felt sadder in my life. All I can think about was my family. I wonder where my parents and seven brothers and sister were. I searched the entire day for them only to find nothing. In the middle of my search I found my uncle. We hugged and cried. He and I and several more survivors kept on walking towards Banda Aceh. We walked and walked until it was dark. We found a hill and just collapsed. When the sun set, we woke up only to realize that we were so hungry, we have not eaten anything since the tsunami hit us a day earlier. We kept of walking and found a military base nearby. They have set up a tent for people who came for help. They treated us with basic medications they have. They didn't have enough food supply but they shared what they had with us. We were so hungry that we didn't care as long we can eat something. After a few days at the military camp, my other uncle picked me up and brought me home to his place in Kiran Baroh Kecamatan Jangka Buya Kabupaten Pidie. After staying at his place, I asked him if he can take me to Dayah Babulilmi since I heard this Dayah Orphanage Boarding School took in tsunami survivors.
That was my story of tsunami that claimed hundred and thousands of lives, including the lives of my parents and siblings. I'd like to take this opportunity convey my sincere gratitude for all your help, by giving us clothes, food and medication. "
Letter from Khalfawi, a 14 year old boy. He wrote this letter when Hope 4 Our Children visited Dayah Babulilmi in 2006
For more information about project Sigli, click
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C. WEST SUMATERA PROJECT
Hope 4 Our Children is implementing projects in West Sumatera to help economically disadvantaged children and orphans, the victim of West Sumatera's most recent earthquake.
1. Duck and Fish Project
In 2010, Hope 4 Our Children is implementing duck farming project in Panti Yawi Ophanage in West Sumatra, a region devastated by 2009 earthquake. The living condition in the orphanages becomes increasingly untenable and demands immediate interventions. Some of the orphans have been evacuated by their family members as most of the rooms were destroyed by the earthquake. In addition, it became increasingly difficult for the orphanage to support and provide sufficient food for its live-in students. Most of the children show signs of malnutrition as indicated by decaying teeth and low test scores. Hope 4 Our Children funds a "Dollars for Duck" Project, a duck farm project, for a couple of reasons. First, the farm can supply the orphanage with egg as a source of valuable nutrition for the children. Secondly, as the area where the orphanage is located has potential for salted duck egg market, any additional income generated from the duck farm will enable the orphanage not only to support the current live-in children, but also to increase its capacity to provide for more orphans. The third and final expected result is increased children's livelihood skills. The project is also intended to provide on the job training opportunities for students to learn livelihood skills by involving them in the maintenance of the farm.
Hope 4 Our Children is also implementing a fish farming project in the same orphanage. The orphanage had a successful fish farming project that helped provided extra income for the institution before the earthquake destroyed the ponds. The purpose of this project is to help the orphanage obtain additional income back from the fish farm that eventually will enable the orphanage to be self sustained institution.
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2. Chicken Farming Project
In 2010, Hope 4 Our Children is implementing a chicken farming project in Panti Asuhan Al Munawwarah Orphanage in Pariaman, West Sumatera. The orphanage was in a very dire condition and did not receive any funding from government or any other private institutions. The purpose of this project is to get additional income generated from the chicken farm that will enable the orphanage to be self sustained institution. The farm can also supply the orphanage children with egg as a source of valuable nutrition. This project also intended to provide on the job training for its orphans by involving them in the maintenance of the farm.
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D. JOGJAKARTA PROJECT
Hope 4 Our Children is implementing projects in Jogjakarta to help economically disadvantaged children and orphans, the victim of Jogjakarta's most recent mountain eruptions.
Duck Project
In 2011, Hope 4 Our Children is implementing duck farming project in Panti Asuhan Yatim Putri Asyiyah Cabang Ngawen in Klaten village, approximately 8 miles from the proximity of the 2010 Jogjakarta mountain eruption. The orphanage had accepted children victims of Jogjakarta mountain eruptions. As the orphanage becomes more crowded, the living condition becomes increasingly untenable and demands immediate interventions. The orphanage management is in dire need to receive additional income to feed its live in orphans.
Hope 4 Our Children funds a "Dollars for Duck" Project, a duck farm project, for a couple of reasons. First, the farm can supply the orphanage with egg as a source of valuable nutrition for the children. Secondly, as the area where the orphanage is located has potential for salted duck egg market, any additional income generated from the duck farm will enable the orphanage not only to support the current live-in children, but also to increase its capacity to provide for more orphans. The third and final expected result is increased children's livelihood skills. The project is also intended to provide on the job training opportunities for students to learn livelihood skills by involving them in the maintenance of the farm. Lastly, this project is a replicate of the successful Duck Projects that were implemented in Aceh and West Sumatera orphanages to support the children victims of natural disasters.
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E. PROGRAMS TO HELP STREET CHILDREN IN JAKARTA
Street children have mostly been the victims of cynicism, neglect, and even discrimination by the public. The public has often failed to see that these children could have a future, even a bright one, should they be supported by the public wholeheartedly. They need an immediate intervention and help to ensure their safety and immediate needs are addressed.
According to Indonesian Statistic Bureau, in 2009, there were 230,000 street children in Indonesia. Foundation for Children Protection (Lembaga Perlindungan Anak), Jakarta Office, stated that there are 35 "Visiting Houses" that help provide the basic needs of street children all over Jakarta, but they are only helping a small portion of the street children.
A literature study on Policies and Program of Street Children Education in Indonesia conducted by Bina Mandiri Foundation and commissioned by UNESCO in 2005 in three major cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Jogjakarta and Surabaya found the following characteristics of street children in Indonesia:(1) The major number of street children still live with their parents and only few live in shelters; (2) more than 50 per cent of the respondent are still at schools. According to these children the main constraints for continuing education were parents' attitude and parents' preference on work than on education for their children; (3) children surveyed worked as street singer, beggars, scavengers, shoe polishers and street vendors.
1. Street Children Sponsorship Program
Hope 4 Our Children collaborates with Yayasan YaBim, a local partner in Depok Jakarta, to provide programs that will improve the living condition for street children in Jakarta. YaBim receives 60% of its funding from Ministry of Social Affairs. The remaining amount is obtained from other sources. Currently, the school employs 60 full time teachers and teacher assistants. In addition, three local universities collaborates their programs by sending undergraduate and graduate students to work as teachers, social workers and physiologist volunteers supporting YaBim school's programs and activities.
It has started the "Visiting House" with programs that provides basic needs for street children as well as provides them with education free of charge. It manages a free school for 2,000 street children around the area. A total of 200 street children are live-in children. Most of these children are abandoned children who lost contact with their family. The remaining 1,800 school age children still live with at least one parent. They attend the school during the day and become street singer, beggars, and scavengers afterwards to make ends meet. Their parents' livelihoods range from beggars to daily laborer with an average daily income of $1 to $2. It is very challenging for them to provide food for their children, let alone provide for their children's education.
Our goal is to help those street children by providing our support to both the children and family so that children can stay in school and focus on their education without having to bear the burden of being the breadwinner for the family.
The Street Children Sponsorship Program unites street children with the individual donors who wish to address their basic needs to give them the tools and opportunities necessary for success. Sponsorship covers school fees, uniform, food and basic medicines. The cost to sponsor a child is as little as $35/month.
2. Livelihood & Income Generating Program for Street Children
Hope 4 Our Children collaborates with YaBim, a local partner, that has started its training program and income generating activity for high school age street children. YaBim provides training of AC repair service and pest control management for high school age street children so they can provide the services to local offices, neighborhood homes and hospitals.This way, we can empower those youth to make a living from more respectable and profitable jobs and help them support their family members.
The services offer a good bargain price of Rp 100,000 (equivalent to $12) for each service to be conducted by two youth/High School age street children. The demand is high that YaBim has started to train 40 high school aged street children with livelihood skills as AC repairman and pest control. However, they are very limited in their productivity since they only have two sets of AC repair tool and 1 set of pest control equipment. Each set of equipment can go to an average of 5 houses daily. The equipment costs approximately $600. Their target is to train all 800 high school age street children who are currently provided by the institution.
Hope 4 Our Children helps the Yayasan Yabim provide its youth/high school age street children with livelihood skills and increase the institution's sustainability by funding AC service as the income generating activities. Our goal is to provide a total of 30 AC equipment at $600 each. With this income, each youth can support up to 5 family members.
Right now, our current funding is only able to procure 5 pieces of equipment. Our target of fundraising activity is to raise fund to purchase 25 additional machines at $600 each or $15,000.
Please help us help more economically disadvantaged children by improving their lives through education & training.
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