T

he COVID-19 outbreak has led to millions of laid-off workers worrying about what to eat, with the government and community service organizations distributing staple foods to make sure that they are not hungry.

For Roslin Orphanage in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, however, the ongoing health crisis has proven that its emphasis on the principles of self-reliance, including food self-sufficiency, was the correct path to take.

Established by Budi Soehardi and his wife Peggy in 1999, Roslin Orphanage has from the outset underscored the importance of instilling self-reliance in the many children under their care as part of its education program.

“When I introduced the idea of food self-sufficiency a long time ago, they did not fully understand why food was always on the table. But now with the COVID-19 pandemic, they are fully aware of it,” the 64-year-old former Singapore Airlines and Garuda Indonesia pilot told The Jakarta Post recently.

“We have more than enough yield from our fields, such as corn, vegetables, bananas and papayas. Our [farm] is also good for raising ducks, chicken and breeding fish. We also share the products from our [farm] with our neighbors,” he says.

“So the children know what self-reliance and [working] for their needs really mean. Additionally, they understand the importance of sharing, and feel proud that they are able to share the results of their hard work,” Budi stresses.

Roslin Orphanage is currently home to 84 children, most of who are in elementary and junior high school. It has sent 25 children to Jakarta and four others to Yogyakarta to pursue higher education. Apart from receiving formal schooling, the orphanage also give the children an opportunity to gain a variety of basic skills in farming and raising livestock, after which they can freely choose the skills they want to develop further, whether it is farming vegetables, livestock or fish.

The farm that the orphanage manages spans around 20 hectares, primarily paddy fields where rice grows well when it rains. The orphanage has been self-sufficient in rice since 2008. The farm also grows fruit trees and horticultural crops like chili and onion that are suited for the montane geography and climate.

“Looking ahead, we also want to achieve self-sufficiency in other things,” says Budi.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the children of Roslin Orphanage conduct activities in their dormitory and are not allowed to go outside, although several adult staffers venture out to procure supplies.

Organic farming

On observing the healthy crops growing on the orphanage’s farm, called Rumah Kebon (Living Lab), it is difficult to believe that the land was once dry, barren and rocky, which is typical of Kupang.

According to Budi, it took six years using organic methods to make the land arable.

“We have to start with what God has blessed us with, which in this case was barren and rocky land. Strong will and discipline in following agricultural [methods] played a crucial role,” says Budi, who was named a CNN World Hero in 2009 for his work in caring for these “forgotten children”.

Budi and Peggy set up Roslin Orphanage immediately after they saw on TV that children had become victims of the East Timor conflict in 1999 as refugees fleeing to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Timor. He used his savings, which he had originally planned to travel for 33 days on a round-the-world trip with his family, to establish and manage the orphanage.

Roslin Orphanage continues to expand and now accommodates not only orphaned refugee children from East Timor, but also destitute children from other islands in NTT such as Timor, Rote, Lembata, Flores, Alor and Sumba. Gerson Mangi and Sonya Ivoni Tannono, two of their orphans, have respectively earned bachelor degrees in general medicine and computer science.

The couple is now developing the Eco Village in Kupang to provide shelter and care for 1,000 children under their principles that prioritizing education and self-reliance, and aims to help the children to achieve their dreams through hard work.

“Peggy and I will continue to guide and lead them to keep them focused and willing to work the extra mile and understand the true meaning of togetherness and sense of belonging,” he says. “It is hoped that the Eco Village will produce individuals who are useful to society, regardless of where they live and work.”

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the global philanthropic arm of the multinational beverage giant, has helped the orphanage build a rainwater harvesting reservoir, while the renowned service organization Rotary International has provided several solar water pumps, according to Budi.

“The reservoir, which has a capacity of 12,000 cubic meters, is now full of water,” he says, clearly pleased.

The orphanage engaged local laborers to transform the land into a productive farm and to build the infrastructure of the Eco Village.

“For the time being, the project has been put on hold because of COVID-19. We’ll resume [construction] when the outbreak is over,” he says.

Roslin Orphanage is one of the few orphanages in Indonesia that operates on the principles of self-reliance and entrepreneurship, which has allowed it to be financially independent and sustainable. The foods that the children of Roslin Orphanage produce are truly the fruits of an institution that has been built on self-reliance principle.

Above all, it has proven that empowering orphans is more meaningful than making them an object of compassion that makes them dependent on the orphanage and its donors.

Martinus Mesarudi Gea, founder of orphanage and entrepreneurship school Yayasan Prima Unggul (YPU), says on the YPU website (yayasanprimaunggul.com) that an orphanage should provide education and life skills hand in hand to encourage the children under their care to develop into independent adults.

Martinus wants the YPU, which he founded in 2011, to produce 10,000 new entrepreneurs and professionals by developing its children into self-reliant individuals that have a positive impact on others. An education that offers a change in mindset, builds character and combines academic and practical skills with talent development was therefore critical.

In the meantime, the practical component of this educational approach can only be resumed fully once the outbreak has passed.