ORPHAN CRISIS IN INDONESIA
According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 4.4 Million orphans in Indonesia. There are approximately 7,000 orphanages with nearly 500,000 children living in them. Children are referred to these homes for various reasons, including the death of a single parent, the death of both parents, child abuse, and poverty. Unfortunately, children are increasingly being placed in the care of these homes by parents who cannot afford to provide them with an education, food, or shelter. While systems must be in place to keep families together, developing the infrastructure to prevent child abandonment is far from being accomplished. In Indonesia, 9.8 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line. When a family’s primary breadwinner is no longer able to provide – whether it is due to death, illness, abandonment, or other reasons, it creates a dire situation for the remaining parent.
Over the past several years, many unfortunate events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and natural disasters have taken a toll on a country already devastated by social and economic challenges. Various organizations have been working tirelessly to support and empower the closest family members of orphaned children to prevent child abandonment. Through this work, they have tried to avoid a rise in illegal adoptions, forced child labor, and pressured child marriages. While they have done a tremendous job, there are still many children who have fallen through the gaps and have found themselves in a situation where living in an orphanage is their only option. They rely heavily on homes like Iraono Nifaeri Children’s Home to step up to the call to provide for their needs in a safe and loving environment.
IRAONO NIFAERI CHILDREN’S HOME
Iraono Nifaeri Children’s Home formed two years after the great Tsunami of 2004 that decimated Indonesia and other parts of the region. The original founder and director was able to partner with various NGOs to get the orphanage built and funded in response to the increase in orphaned children in the area. Currently, Iraono Nifaeri is home to 49 children who are long-term residents.
The home has done an incredible job of providing opportunities for the children to develop skills that will eventually help them transition successfully into adulthood. Beyond proving them with a safe place to live and taking care of their basic necessities, the leadership of this home has gone above and beyond to ensure every child has the opportunity to completely change the trajectory of their life.
The children at Iraono Nifaeri have a very regimented day. They have long school days with built-in study time. Each child has their own responsibilities to take care of around the home every day. When they are finished with their chores, they love to play games outside and simply enjoy their free time. At Iraono Nifaeri, building their faith is a priority. They encourage the children to develop their own relationship with Jesus through daily worship and group devotion times.
Serving Orphans Worldwide travels to every orphanage we partner with to ensure needs are legitimate and 100% of funds distributed goes to the livelihood of the children.
PROMINENT ISSUES
Abuse
Reported child abuse cases in Indonesia rose sharply in 2021 with more than 6,000 recorded cases, according to a government child protection agency.
Abandonment
Children are abandoned for many reasons including the death of one or both parents, poverty, abuse, and more. Iraono Nifaeri Children’s Home has taken in many children left with no family to care for them.
Sex Trafficking
According to a state government report on Indonesia in 2022, there has been a rise in traffickers using online and social media platforms to recruit victims, primarily children, for commercial sexual exploitation. In situations like this, children with no one to care for them become the most vulnerable.
WE BELIEVE
HOME
The home consists of boys’ and girls’ dormitories, a guest house, which is also used as a sick room, a director cottage, a church, and a workshop. It is accessible to electricity and a flush sewage system for indoor plumbing. Fresh water is a challenge for showering as they rely heavily on rainwater and often have to carry water up the hill to the dormitories. However, they do receive fresh water from a vendor that delivers bottled water to the home weekly for drinking.
EDUCATION
Iraono Nifaeri takes children’s educational opportunities very seriously. All school-aged children are either enrolled in public or private school. They are transported to school every day by the home’s private vehicle to ensure the ultimate safety of the children. They have structured two-hour study time set aside in their daily schedules. The biggest need Iraono Nifaeri has is to raise funds for all essential items and services such as uniforms, books, supplies, tuition, transportation, and internet for online learning.
FAITH
The children are so earnest and pure in their worship. Indonesia is the world’s most populated Muslim nation, but Iraono Nafaeri is definitely a Christ-centered home. Every morning is started with devotions before school. Then at 3:30 in the afternoon, the children lead their own brief 30-minute praise and worship time. Each night after dinner is a short Bible study time led by one of the older kids.
HEALTH
The children have access to medical care for emergencies at a local clinic. They have received all vaccinations recommended by the governmental health organization in their country, and recommended medical tests (i.e. HIV, hepatitis, parasites, etc.)