Listen the Jakarta post : Homeless, disabled children find home at Bina Grahita

Listen the Jakarta post : Homeless, disabled children find home at Bina Grahita

Afternoon routine: Children with mental disabilities enjoy a sunny afternoon in their wheelchairs at the Bina Grahita Belaian Kasih Social Institution in West Jakarta. The institution provides care for 176 homeless children with mental disabilities, some of whom are bound in wheelchairs because of the severity of their ailments. JP/Indra BudiariDozens of children were running around in the front yard of Bina Grahita Belaian Kasih Social Institution in Kalideres, West Jakarta, on a sunny afternoon. Faces covered in powder, the kids rushed inside when a middle-aged man called them for snack time. They flocked in front of a counter where a woman distributed a handful of wafer and biscuit sticks to each child. ‘They just took a shower, that’s why their faces are covered with powder, and afterward they have their snacks, ‘Ridwan, an administrator and caretaker at the institution, told The Jakarta Post. Bina Grahita was inaugurated in 1997 and, so far, is the only social institution under the Jakarta administration that provides a place for homeless, disabled children in the city. Located in West Jakarta, the institution does not only provide care for children in Jakarta, but also for those found on the streets in the city’€™s outskirts, like Depok and Bekasi in West Java. Almost every week, Bina Grahita welcomes new disabled children from the streets. The institution currently cares for 176 children, most of whom have Down syndrome and were found living on the streets. Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is a chromosome irregularity caused by a genetic mutation. It is also the most frequent genetic cause of mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and associated medical problems. ‘One caretaker has six or seven kids under his supervision. Despite limited human resources, we always try to give them proper treatment in this institution,’Ridwan said. He said intellectually disabled children need more care from those around them because many of the children, especially those who were more severely affected, could barely take care of themselves. Ridwan added that after working in the institution for less than a year, he had started to love the children and treated them as one big family. ‘We feed them, carry them to the toilet and wipe their bottoms. You couldn’t stand that everyday unless you considered them family, ‘he said, adding that there were 12 children in the institution that needed wheel chairs and extensive treatments for their Down syndrome. The head of the organization, Ngapuli Peranginangin, said he was grateful for his staff, who worked very hard for the children. ‘My staff are extraordinary, they work hard to provide the best treatment for the children here, ‘he said. However, Ngapuli said the institution was currently trying to figure out how to empower the children to take control of their own futures and gain some independence, since they could not stay at Bina Grahita forever. He added that one option was to teach the children simple tasks such as washing dishes or motorcycles. I hope in the future there will be a businessperson who will hire them to work for their restaurant or car wash,’€ Ngapuli went on. Separately, disability rights activist Aria Indrawati said the head of the social institution for disabled children should think outside of the box to find jobs for the children. According to her, instead of expecting companies to open their doors, Bina Grahita could help the kids find work in small businesses, such as food vendors. ‘For example, I know a disabled child who works for a martabak [stuffed pancake] vendor and his only duty is to cut onions. The social institution should strive to find a good place for the children to be independent, but should not stop giving them a place to stay, ‘she said