Yayasan Rumah Tumbuh Harapan hopes to provide a safe space for unmarried women going through unplanned pregnancies.

Together with her husband Charles Wong, 41-year-old Devi Sumarno founded Yayasan Rumah Tumbuh Harapan (Hope House Foundation), often shortened to Rumah Ruth (Ruth’s House). The house is home to unmarried women who are going through or have recently gone through unplanned pregnancies, with the aim of assisting not only their physical well-being, but also their mental wellness, as they face the combination of stigma and, often, guilt and shame about the pregnancy.

Maria Yasinta, hotline manager from Samsara, a nonprofit organization, says women are not well informed about their rights in regard to reproductive health. In the case of women with unplanned pregnancies, the external and internal pressures can be even more overwhelming. “A safe house could be the best option for women who have unplanned pregnancies to decide the next step to take after being properly informed.”

Devi was inspired to open the safe house after a close college friend became pregnant during their time in university in 2007. Since then she and her husband have helped around 200 women at their foundation, which is located in Bandung, West Java.

At the foundation, Devi, her husband and their team of 13 caregivers, try to focus much-needed attention on the health of the women - both physically and mentally, in the hope of preserving the dignity and acceptance that they deserve from society.

Mariyam Jameelah, a representative from the NGO Resister Indonesia said it was essential for women to receive any type of support, as raising children requires plenty of emotional and financial stability.

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia