January 2008 - Article "Communities of Indonesia"

In 2005 Alison Chester together with the MUM Foundation (Manusia Untuk Masyarakat) started the Jodie O'Shea Orphanage to Save 15 children who suffered from ill treatment at an Orphanage in Bali. Now, two and a half years later, we return to view Alison's commitment to saving other children with the same light.  Alison Chester, a British born Indonesian citizen, and her husband, Riyanto Samadi, exchange furtive glances that express their anxiety. They won’t reveal the name of the orphanage.

“The children were often beaten, some of them even received electric shocks” explains the 56 years old woman from Liverpool, her throat tight. “Unfortunately there are some orphanages in Bali that sadly profit from disadvantaged children” adds Riyanto Samadi. “To increase their numbers, some of them have agents who patrol in the poor areas and even offer money to the parents to take their children” he continues. The more children there are, the more benefits they receive from donations and subsidies. “Therefore it is good to be aware that some people are not always helping children with the best intentions” explains Alison.

In August 2005, with great difficulty, the couple succeeded in taking 15 little Sumbanese children away from the evil environment and setting up the Jodie O’Shea orphanage in Denpasar. For this business woman, the head of a garment factory in Bali, life changed dramatically the day after the first Bali bombing in 2002. Alison, like many othervolunteers,went to the hospitals in Denpasar to help. She assisted a victim, the Australian Jodie O’Shea until she was evacuated. The pain and the dignity of this young woman left a profound mark on Alison. She decided to spend more time helping people in need, and in memory of the Australian woman who died at only 29 years old, Alison gave her name, Jodie O’Shea to the orphanage that today accommodates 32 children. Many of the children come from the very poor island of Sumba experiencing great misery, but others are from Bali, Ambon and Sumatra.

The proportion by gender is quite even and the age varies from one and a half to seventeen years old.

The Jodie O’Shea project began when Alison and Yanto chose to give money and time to an orphanage. Slowly, over two years, they realised that the children were being abused and the donated money was embezzled.They put a plan in place to save the little Sumbanese from the clutches of the criminal owners. Thanks to the help of a lawyer, the rescue was successful. The venture of the Jodie O’Shea orphanage started off with US$ 30,000,“half of which was donated by one person, a Dutch businessman” explains Alison. Children and families even camped in Alison and Yanto’s garden in their Canggu home until the construction of the home was completed. Some “heavies” were hired by the crooked owners who took advantage of the opportunity to intimidate and threaten them… Sadly, “the dishonest orphanage created in the early nineties is still open in spite of this story of abusive treatment and continues to accommodate even more children” she states bitterly. Alison and her husband are assisted by their friend Julie Le Baube and two Indonesian carers who live at the home.They admit that it was a huge task to undertake this kind of project.

The education of these children is obviously of the highest importance.“How can we make the children’s future secure?” asks Alison who is also mother and grandmother. “We have to be able to recognize their skills, and also consider which qualifications would be useful in their villages if they return, particularly for the young Sumbanese” she adds. At the moment, they all go to school in the local neighbourhood and some of them even go to private schools because of the lack of places in the government schools.The Australian International School kindly allows some of the children to use their computer laboratory to facilitate extra curricular computer lessons.They are very grateful that many of the older boys have been given scholarships by the Canggu Club Soccer Academy.

The MUM Foundation not only heads the Jodie O’Shea Orphanage but also another of Alison’s projects the BKP (Bantul Kindergarten Project) which was started after the devastating earthquake in Jogjakarta, May 2006. 26 kindergartens and one primary school have been successfully rebuilt to date. (The Communities of Indonesia # 1 – January 2007). We can imagine how busy Alison Chester’s life is. She wakes up everyday at 4 am and works often until 9 pm. “I try to have a free Sunday once in a while” she says with a smile. Her goals for the orphanage grow constantly and the team works consistently.

“We are hoping to raise enough money to build a new extension in 2008 which will help to accommodate a further 30 children” says Alison. Indeed, the buildings are spacious and well-thought out, they offer a pleasant living environment to the children who all seem to be happy and healthy. Meanwhile, the needs list seems to be endless. In the short term, the orphanage always needs the basic necessities of food, clothing, hygiene products. Also fans, mirrors, cushions and pillows, paints, swimming lessons, Indonesian books, computers, new walls, a minivan to transport the children…

Alison Chester : 081 23 88 35 42
Email : julie@careforkidsbali.com  or alison@careforkidsbali.com   

www.careforkidsbali.com   www.mumbali.org   www.bantulkindergartenproject.org