As my birthday approaches in 1 week, I want to take this opportunity to crowdfund for a small orphanage that cares for children with special needs near my house in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, socio-economic gaps are large, and inequality is a significant problem. Government subsidies and support are not well distributed, affecting the income of many non-profit organisations. It has also negatively impacted orphanages in Indonesia. I have learned that just 2.3 km away from my house, there is a small orphanage called "Rumah Singgah Kasih". In English, it literally translates to "Drop-in House of Love". They have been taking care of children with special needs who have been abandoned without anyone else to take care of them. A story of a child with down syndrome in Rumah Singgah Kasih deeply saddened me. His mother informed the orphanage that she would return in 2 days to pick him up. However, no one returned for him. There are a total of 20 orphans who are now cared for in Rumah Singgah Kasih, ranging from 1 to 41 years old. Most of them have some form of special needs, such as down syndrome, autism or are deaf.

I am amazed by the kindness of the lady who runs the orphanage and takes care of these kids as if they are her own. The children who were left with no family or relatives who are able to care for them have finally found a mother figure with so much love to share. However, she cannot continue caring for these children without help. She has no permanent donators, nor government support who can help sustain the running of the orphanage. This is where external donations can massively help with improving their well-being and their future.

As someone who believes that the environment and resources available can shape a person, I hope that I can provide some resources that can help them grow to be wonderful human beings. I am writing this blog to ask if you could kindly spare some of the money you would spend on buying birthday gifts for this cause instead. While £1/£2 does not mean a lot in the UK, it is actually valued much more in Indonesia (as reference £1= Rp 19000.00 which is enough for a full meal or even more). Whatever I raise, I promise that I will top up 25% of the total donations out of my own pocket. I believe this is the least I can do to help fellow Indonesians in need. Please share this with any friends or family who might be interested in donating and helping these children.

I hope to use the money raised to support the orphanage in continuing to care for these children. I promise to give you all an update on via my mom who is now in Indonesia (thank you, mom). Thank you so so so much if you have made it this far! Every help is greatly appreciated!