(JP/ Novia D. Rulistia)

With only US$50 in her pocket, Natalia Tjahja set up the Maria Monique Last Wish Foundation in 2007, aiming to grant the wishes of children burdened with illness.

Through her foundation, she gave these children the chance to feel alive again not only in Indonesia but also around the world.

“Mom, go around the world and find kids to give happiness,” Natalia recalled her daughter’s words before she died from a lung infection in 2006 in Singapore.

Her foundation was set up a year after her daughter, Maria Monique, died when she was only 7. Named after her daughter, the foundation has a mission to help unfortunate children as well as to bring people together to help these children.

During her struggles to pay for her daughter’s treatment in Singapore, Natalia had received lots of assistance from friends and strangers after some media outlets in Singapore published stories about her daughter.

“Since that experience in Singapore, I have always put my faith in God that there are people out there with beautiful hearts who want to help me help others. My foundation wouldn’t function without the
generosity of others,” she said.

Natalia and the foundation have been traveling across Indonesia and the world to help children.

She recently went to the US to help her friend, Ed Payne, an editor at CNN news channel, to launch his children’s book, The Daily Rounds of a Hound.

The book launch was, of course, an opportunity for Natalia to give put smiles on children’s faces.

 “I told him [Payne] that it would be a good idea to give the books to sick children, so I told him that I wanted to buy his books and gave them to children in hospitals,” she said.

But that was not enough. She then flew to the US because she wanted to be there in-person when Payne read his book to children at Little Flower Children in New York, Healthcare Children in Atlanta, The Golden Soldiers Atlanta, Maryvale in Los Angeles and Orchard’s Children’s Services in Michigan.

“It was so good to see those critically ill children enjoy Ed’s storytelling sessions,” Natalia said.

During her time in Los Angeles, she also had the chance to organize a fashion show. This time, however, she aimed to help troubled children.

The fashion show was organized for children who were susceptible to suicide, abused by their parents, and those who were forced into prostitution.

“The aim was to give them the hope to live,” she said.

Apart from organizing a fashion show in Los Angeles, Natalia also recorded a song she wrote entitled “Return of the Ring”, which was arranged by noted Indonesian music arranger Dwiki Dharmawan.

She said she had planned to give the songs to Prince William as an ode his mother, Lady Diana, who dedicated her life to helping others.

The idea of writing songs crossed her mind in 2011 as she thought of ways to express her gratitude to those who have helped her help others abroad.

“I don’t like music; I don’t listen to it, I don’t play instruments, let alone write lyrics and melodies. But I did it anyway,” Natalia said.

The first song she wrote was for Japan when it was hit by an earthquake that triggered a tsunami in 2011.

She said she was touched and wanted to be there for the victims, but she could not, so she wrote a song, entitled “Tohoku”.

She worked with Indonesian Idol winner Delon and Badai from the band Kerispatih on the song.

“I met with Japan’s embassy here, and they offered to translate the song. And eventually, that song brought me to Japan,” the fashion lover said.

Natalia also wrote songs for India, Vietnam, Singapore, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, among others.

Of all the countries she visited and helped, South Africa had the deepest connection to her.

In 2009, she went to Johannesburg with Edith Lehoko, the wife of South Africa’s ambassador to Indonesia, where she met a boy who fought for the right of children living with HIV to live with their mothers.

“I was so impressed by him. There, we also built our first happy room, a place where children can play with each other,” Natalia said.

Upon returning from South Africa, Natalia and Lehoko visited slum areas in Pulo Gadung, North Jakarta, to help children there, she said.

Despite the fact that her activities require lots of money, she never worries because she believes that she is not alone in her endeavors.

“Donations can come from everywhere, but I like it when I can personally meet with the donors. That way, I can see if the donors are sincere or not. Besides that, I want them to know where the money is going,” she said.

Natalia said most of her recent activities had been funded by migrant workers and fishermen in Muara Angke, North Jakarta.

“They always support the foundation. The donation amount is not important. What’s important is that the person giving it has a sincere heart,” she said.

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