NEBA Foundation, Dinas Sosial Kabupaten Badung, Dinas Pengendalian Penduduk, Keluarga Berencana dan Pemberdayaan Perempuan Perlindungan Anak (P2KBP3A) Kabupaten Badung, Crisis Kitchen Bali, Bali Children Foundation, Bali Children’s Project, Social Project Bali, and Bali Kids (Yayasan Anak-Anak Bali) attended this event.
Yayasan Bali Bersih/Westerlaken foundation successfully held Orphanage Awareness Campaign - Movie Screening in the Jodie O'Shea House building. Jodie O'Shea is an orphanage that has successfully run a reunification program. This campaign is part of the foundation's human rights and children's rights programme.
The Orphanage Awareness Campaign focuses on protecting children's rights in orphanages. Apart from that, this campaign also explained the standard of care that orphanages can carry out for children that still have families.
Yayasan Bali Bersih initiated this campaign after Jodie O'Shea's reunification program. The reunification program is a program to reintegrate children with their families. This program is accompanied by empowering families to support sustainable family welfare.
Many children in orphanages or child welfare institutions are not orphans and have at least one parent or other relatives. The reasons for placing them in an orphanage were economic problems and the need for a proper education. These reasons are against Permensos No. 30 (2011), which states that poverty and education are not justifications for children to live in an institution. Yayasan Bali Bersih also explained that this Permensos was the background for Jodie O'Shea's reunification program in 2019-2021.
The importance of this campaign is to help increase awareness and knowledge of society, government and other social organisations regarding the responsibility of parents to their children. Thus, it will reduce the number of children placed in an institution for economic and educational reasons. Children can feel the warmth of family and get protection from family.
Movie Screening is the first step to introducing this campaign to the government, communities or other foundations. There are three videos played on Movie Screening. The videos are documentaries of interviews with families that have placed their children in Jodie O'Shea. It shows why parents hand over their children to orphanages and the impact of the reunification program on families.
In the first video, the audience can see the story of Mr T and his son, Z. Mr T felt he didn't have much time to care for Z, so that situation forced him to have his son in an orphanage. However, he regretted that decision and felt thankful that the reunification program reintegrated his son with him.
The second video shows the story of Mrs H and her daughter, S. Mrs H is one of the parents that place her daughter for economic and educational reasons. She was afraid because she would not be able to provide a proper education for her daughter someday. But now, she thanks the foundation for helping her to reunite with her daughter and empower her family.
The third video shows a child that has lived in Jodie O'Shea for nine years. D at first felt happy living in the orphanage, but his happiness faded as he missed the warmth of his family.
This movie screening made the audience understand parents' situations and children's feelings. Keeping children away from the family is not the best solution. Children need the support and protection of their families. Growing up in an institution puts children at risk of physical, emotional, and social harm.
All participants enthusiastically expressed their opinions, asked various questions, and provided suggestions for improving the quality of this campaign program. The participants also agreed that this program could return family warmth to children and protect them.
This campaign will be active on Instagram, Facebook and the official website. Through this campaign, Yayasan Bali Bersih will also provide programs to prevent families from placing their children in a child welfare institution for poverty and education reasons.
Yayasan Bali Bersih invites the communities to support this campaign by being careful when visiting orphanages, so it will not give opportunities for exploitation or physical, emotional and social harm to children. Communities could provide donations directly to families in need and empower them with the hope that families can provide a better life for their children.
“Children should not be separated from their parents unless they are not being properly looked after – for example, if a parent hurts or does not take care of a child. Children whose parents don’t live together should stay in contact with both parents unless this might harm the child.” - Unicef.
About Yayasan Bali Bersih
Yayasan Bali Bersih is an Indonesian non-profit organisation founded in 2015 as a local partner for the Westerlaken foundation. Yayasan Bali Bersih has a complete Indonesian board with four programs. The programs are:
Human rights and children rights.
Marine environment.
Emergency relief.
Issues on cultural heritage management.
Please get in touch with us, and we appreciate any related questions or Yayasan Bali Bersih.
Email : info@yayasanbalibersih.org
Website : https://www.westerlakenfoundation.org
Phone: 082211872080
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