A story from Jois

Some friends of SYI's and the orphanage in Sumba have been interviewing the children living at PASK about their day-to-day lives and their dreams.  I hope to share at least one with you each month.  

This is the story of Jois.   I met Jois in the summer of 2010.  She is one of the PASK children that led me to start SYI.  Her name is appropriate.  She is full of more Joy than I thought possible in such a tiny little body.  I took this photo of Jois one afternoon 2 years ago, while she was playing in our yard.  She loved posing with Colby's sunglasses!

Martha Hebi, a wonderful volunteer at PASK, has written up the Indonesian version of Jois' story.  Below you will find my translation of her story.  I attempted to stay true to their words.  

“Saya Ingin Jadi Perawat”

“Saya ingin jadi perawat, biar bisa merawat orang”, ujar Yosefina Malo. Jois, nama panggilannya sudah tinggal di Panti Asuhan Sinar Kasih sejak berumur 2 tahun. Saat ini Jois bersekolah di SD Mata kelas 5. Dia adalah anak keempat dari 5 bersaudara. Mamanya sudah meninggal dunia.

Di Panti Asuhan, Jois memiliki aktivitas rutin. Bangun pagi jam 05:00, Jois mengatur tempat tidur, menyapu rumah. Bersama teman-temannya, Jois berdoa pagi. Setelah berdoa bersama, Jois bersama teman-teman pergi ke mata air. “Sebenarnya kami punya sumur, tetapi sumur longsor jadi untuk sementara, kami timba air di mata air,” kata Jois yang lahir pada 1 Desember 2000. Jois menuturkan, sekembalinya dari mata air, mereka sarapan bersama lalu bersiap-siap ke sekolah.

Jam 12:00 atau 12:30 sekembali dari sekolah, Jois makan siang lalu mencucui piring. Kemudian tidur siang selama 1 jam.  Jois yang senang sekali menyanyi dan menari, selalu riang mengerjakan pekerjaan rumah bersama teman-temannya. Bersama teman-temannya, pernah menyanyi dalam acara gereja, Pesta Paroki. Di sore hari, Jois membantu menyapu rumah dan timba air. Jam 17:00 Jois belajar bersama.

 Di Panti, Jois juga membantu masak. Karena cita-citanya ingin jadi perawat, Jois sangat peduli jika ada temannya yang sakit atau sedih. “Saya juga suka urut mama dan papa kalau mereka cape”, cerita Jois dengan mata berbinar-binar. (Martha Hebi, Volunteer Panti Asuhan Sinar Kasih)

Translation:

"I want to be a nurse."

“I want to be a nurse, so I can treat people,” says yosefina malo.  Her nickname at Panti Asuhan Sinar Kasih is Jois (pronounced Joyce.) She was born on December 1, 2000.  She has been living at PASK since she was only 2 years old.  Currently, Jois attends elementary school and is in what we consider the fifth grade.  She is the fourth of five siblings, but her mother is no longer living.

At PASK, Jois has a very active routine.  She rises each morning at 5am,   Her morning chores are to make her bed and sweep the house.  She then says her prayers with her friends.   Before the well was complete at PASK, Jois and her friends would then walk to the springs to draw water.  Once they have collected water (now from the well), she eats breakfast and get ready for school.  At 12:30, she returns from school to eat lunch.  After washing the plates, Jois takes a nap for 1 hour.  In the afternoon, Jois helps sweep the house and draws water.  At 5pm,  Jois studies together with her friends.  Sometimes in the evening, Jois also helps to cook dinner.

Jois delights in singing and dancing, and studying with her friends.  Sometimes Jois and her friends sing at church.  Jois is passionate about becoming a nurse and cares very deeply if her friends or neighbors are in pain or sorrow. “I would also love to have a mommy and daddy if they can,” says Jois with the dreamy eyes.

Jois poses with a drawing she made of PASK. (~Aug 2012)  

And the winner is...

Sunthorn Pon-Tor!!!  Mr. Pon-Tor is now the proud owner of a handmade quilt.

As you can tell, he is very pleased with his prize.  Congratulations Thorn! 

SYI would like to say a big Thank You to LaChresia Bogardus for making this fine quilt and donating it to us for the raffle.  We would also like to thank everyone who participated.  We made $300 for Operation Dorm.  

*****Please check back in the next two weeks as I have just received several stories written by the children of PASK.  I will post the stories as written (Bahasa Indonesia) and my mediocre translations.  Also, several donations have made their way to us.  As soon as I have them all entered in, I will update the totals in the sidebar. ***** 

Handmade Quilt Raffle

 First, a few important updates:

1.  The children of PASK send big hugs and warm hellos to their SYI friends.  They have asked me to let you know that they completed school this past year with flying colors.  Each one was able to return to school this year (starts in July in Indonesia) and is excited to see what they can accomplish! 

2.  Operation Dorm is plugging along.  Look in the sidebar and you will see donations are over $2,000!  There are donations and pledges being made almost daily.  I will update the total raised as often as possible. 

3.  I am currently scheduling talks at churches and organizations.  If you are interested in having your church or group hear about Sumba, SYI, and Operation Dorm, send me an email and we will schedule a time!  

Now for the main attraction!

Earlier this year, LaChresia Bogardus completed this gorgeous handmade quilt and donated it to SYI.  The quilt has dimensions of 107” X 69” is pictured on a full-sized bed.  SYI is holding a raffle for this beautiful textile! 

To purchase or sell (Bless You!) raffle tickets, seek out an SYI volunteer or send me an email (sumbayouthinitiative@gmailcom).  I will arm you with information about SYI and pictures of the quilt.

  

   

Operation Dorm Begins!

SYI is launching a new campaign and we are calling it Operation Dorm.  My little friends at PASK (say hello boys....)

need our help with a significant project.  The boys need a new dormitory.  There are currently 20 boys at PASK (41 children total), and they sleep in the room pictured below.  

Except for the youngest boys, who sleep in a bed with the girls.  All of the children sleep 3-4 kids per twin-sized bed.  Most of the bunk beds were built out of scrap wood by the headmistress.

The girls dormitory is in good shape.  It could use a fresh coat of paint, but there is relatively adequate space for  the girls.  The dormitory for the boys was originally the kitchen.  The boys moved as the orphanage grew.  The "kitchen" is now a three-sided structure made of bamboo mats and grass and they cook over open fires.  

SYI experienced great success with Operation Dig (the campaign to build the well), and the benefits to PASK are innumerable.  The children have clean water for free, and they have put in a vegetable garden.  These two alterations have freed up funds for better quality food (meat, tofu, rice) and for new clothes.

With the well under our belts, we want to take on a more ambitious project.  Operation Dorm is a campaign to raise $16,000 to build a ~20' X 30' structure pictured below.   

Note: WC = bathroom and Dapur = kitchen

PASK has the land necessary to build this structure and Waitabula, Sumba has the necessary supplies and the willing workers to accomplish this project.  We are missing the funding.  Many fundraisers are actively occurring in areas around willing volunteers.  A raffle fundraiser will be underway in a few weeks.  A campaign letter is going out by email and US postal mail.  Look for it in your inbox and pass it on to your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances!  There is also an information page about the campaign that you can reach by the link above this post.  

Please consider making a donation to help us reach our goal using the paypal button to your right.  Also, if you would like to help with an on-going fundraiser, have an idea for a fundraiser, or would like to help in some other way please email me or leave a comment.

SYI can't make this happen without help and support from you.  Together, I know we can do anything!

Easter Egg Summary

This year’s Easter Egg fundraiser made a profit of $1238!  Mom and her team of volunteers made over 300 eggs.  Deliveries were made during the week leading up to Easter Sunday.  Mom had several last minute requests for eggs during those days and was unfortunately unable to accommodate all of them.  If you were one of those rare unlucky few, be sure to get your Easter Egg order in early next year!

The money from the Eggstravaganza was/is earmarked for food.  Now that it the funds have all been collected, and the calculations all made. I am sending $1000.00 (the transfer limit for one transaction) to PASK this afternoon.  They will use the money at their discretion for meals.  I will send suggestions to purchase small livestock (chickens, rabbits, etc.), but that decision will be left up to the headmistress.  I will update the blog with a list of their purchase once they are complete! 

The remainder of the money will stay in the SYI account here and will be sent along when the total again reaches one thousand.  If you would like to contribute to the PASK food fund, please click the paypal button in the sidebar.  Remember $250 is enough to sponsor one child for a year!  This sponsorship works out to be only $21 a month.   

THANK YOU!! 

Where to start....

An update is long over due!  Many wonderful things have happened since the last post.  Some of which kept me from posting sooner.

Besides beautiful personal milestones, SYI accomplished an enormous amount last year including:

v    Completion of the clean water well at the orphanage (PASK)

v    New bathroom facilities for PASK

v    School Uniforms for all children at PASK

v    Funds for food and school fees

Recently, I learned that the well has changed many things at PASK including their food supply.  This past growing season, they planted a vegetable garden and it has proliferated because of access to clean water provided by the well. 

SYI is already at it this Spring!  We are filing for status as an official charity, and now have a distinguished board of directors.   I will be updating the other pages on the SYI blog over the next few days.  Check back to read more about the board of directors and our other amazing volunteers!

Helen (aka. Super Mom) has been at it again this Spring as well.  She and some wonderful volunteers have been making chocolate-covered Easter eggs in the mid-Ohio Valley.

This fundraiser is now in its second year and the funds are earmarked for the food fund at PASK.  They have orders for over 300 eggs that will be delivered this weekend.  The money from this fundraiser will feed all 40 children at the orphanage for 2 months.    

Besides assisting with food and school fees this year, SYI is embarking on one major project:  Operation Dorm.  PASK needs more space to properly house the children living there.  Currently, the children sleep 3-4 per bed.

The boys are sleeping in the small space that was intended to be the kitchen. 

Cooking for the orphanage takes place outside over an open fire.  

Through Operation Dorm, SYI seeks to raise $16,000 to build a new boys dormitory at PASK.  (This figure is based on plans and estimates generated by an engineering student and 2 different construction crews in Sumba.)  As with the well, local workers will be hired to build the dormitory.  In this way the project provides more than just housing for PASK, but also provides work for the community.  Several members of SYI are planning to travel to Sumba during construction to document the project and to offer a helping hand. 

In the coming months, SYI will be soliciting donations for this campaign as well as hosting events and participating in fundraisers to gather the monies needed for Operation Dorm.  Please consider making a donation to SYI through the paypal button in the sidebar or write to sumbayouthinitiative@gmail.com.  Please remember to write in the comments that your donation is for Operation Dorm.

Reminders:

A donation of just $240 will feed one child for a year!

Volunteers and new ideas are always welcome J