Like most things in life, implementing the decision to open an orphanage in memory of Jodie O'Shea, did not happen overnight. In the aftermath of the Bali bombing on October 12, 2002, many people wanted to contribute in some way to create a future of opportunities for those who had very little. A compassionate and determined group of people combined their resources to improve the lives of children here in Bali. We extend our heartfelt thanks to those people for their commitment - their support enabled building to commence in March 2005 and we opened our doors four months later.
We have over fifty children ranging in ages from 2 to 18 years. Of these children, some are from Sumba, a very poor and arid island to the east of Bali, some are from Bali, and few of them are from another island of Indonesia.
Since moving to their new home these children have undergone an amazing transformation. Prior to coming to the orphanage all of them had grown up malnourished in poverty stricken areas, usually within one parent families, surviving on a meagre hand to mouth existence.
Today, however, in their new home our children are embracing a life they have never known - a healthy diet, an education, being nurtured and cared for and having the freedom to simply be children. |
Jodie with her beloved rescued dogs |