D

espite being born half a world away, Thijs van Harte calls Indonesia home.

Born to an Indonesian mother and Dutch father in the Netherlands, the tall, tanned Harte swore as a youngster he would do something in his life to benefit Indonesia.

"My mother was from Manado; Indonesia is my motherland," he said.

"With the birth of Tari, my youngest daughter, I wanted to do something here in Bali for the mentally disabled, or differently gifted, children."

Seven year-old Tari has Down's syndrome, a disease that Harte says taught him a lot about life.

In Tari's name Harte established the Sjaki-Tari-Us foundation in Ubud, Bali that works with mentally disabled children and teenagers.

The foundation also brings together the children's parents, giving them the opportunity to share the joys and difficulties of life with a disabled child.

Harte is quick to point out Sjaki-Tari-Us has been wonderfully supported by the Balinese, with the building donated by a local businessman, Eric Ranti and much help from the local banjar (customary hamlet).

Sjaki-Tari-Us is Harte's second foundation; the first was established in Bali's arid north in the name of his first daughter, Caia. Caia's foundation supplies much needed text books and uniforms to school kids.

Integration of normal and differently gifted kids is one of the key goals of the Sjaki-Tari-Us. This was powerfully demonstrated last Friday when hundreds of kids from local schools, including the School for the Deaf in Gianyar, came together in Ubud's town square for a Fun for All day organized by the foundation.

The square was awash with the different colored uniforms of the schools, including the rainbow tie-died t-shirts of the Pelangi School and the hot pink and navy outfits of a local primary school.

"We've got kids here from four different local schools, plus the kids from Sjaki-Tari-Us playgroup," Harte said.

"So we have integrated Balinese and international school kids, kids from the deaf school and also our kids.

"They are all playing together. This is free for all kids to enjoy."

Differently-abled kids across the age group spectrum played, danced and sang together, the more abled helping out their mates.

Parents and volunteers were also in the thick of it, playing and singing along with the kids in a day of true integration.

Harte points out that integrating and stimulating these children offers them the best chance of achieving their own goals.

"We had one boy who, when he first came to us, could not walk," he said.

"We worked with the adult disability group, Senang Hati and their physiotherapist and that little boy now walks."

The foundation had, as first target, a play group for young children with disabilities including autism, Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy and brain fever, or meningitis.

"In Europe kids are immunized against this disease. If they do get it they are treated really fast so they recover," Harte said.

"Too often here in Bali kids of two or three will develop brain fever and their parents can't afford medical assistance - or don't realize just how dangerous the situation is.

"These kids end up with permanent brain damage - that is preventable."

The foundation is now turning its attention to teenagers with mental disabilities; a group Harte says are too often forgotten.

"We have 25 children and now we have 10 teenagers coming to the center," he said.