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I am a community and youth worker from Tasmania who has two teenage sons – Ziggy and Oliver. My husband and I have been sponsoring children through ChildFund Australia for the past 15 years.

We decided to sponsor in Indonesia because it so close to our home here in Australia – that is when we were introduced to a young Jefri. He is now 22 years old and we have been sponsoring him for 11 years.

This year we decided to combine a family holiday to Bali with a visit to meet Jefri. Despite a blackout at Bali’s Denpasar airport which caused havoc and almost made us miss our flight, we arrived safely in Sumba, where Jefri and his family live.

Sumba is an island in eastern Indonesia with a population of less than 700,000 people. It is one of the poorest islands in Indonesia.

As soon as we arrived in Sumba we felt a change in the atmosphere, Sumba is very quiet and slow-paced compared to busy Bali. At the airport we were met by Tetus, the local ChildFund program manager, and Iman, who was to be our interpreter for the trip. As we weren’t scheduled to meet Jefri until the next day, Iman asked if we would like to come with him to a service at his church that evening.

I think he was happy to show us off to everyone at his church – we were treated like rockstars, which was very strange! They seated us right at the front of the church and after the service everyone wanted photos with us – the young girls from the community even asked for photos with our boys!

The next morning Iman picked us up again and took us to the local ChildFund office where we met Jefri and his mother. It was lovely to meet them both. Jefri is a quiet and serious young man but it was wonderful to talk with him and to meet him in person after sponsoring him for such a long time – he has definitely grown up.

Jefri and his mother gave us beautiful hand-woven handicrafts which we all loved. In return we gave him an AFL ball and a cricket set. We decided to go outside and teach him how to play cricket and to kick the strange-looking football around!

 

Taufik (pictured above) is a 14-year-old boy from Indonesia who is sponsored through ChildFund. He lives in Central Java with his his father, Rosidi, his mother, Sri Rahayu, and and his sister in a rented house. Their home has one bedroom, a living room and a bathroom. Although the house is modest in size, the family lives happily together.

Taufik’s little family grew after they received a cow through ChildFund`s Gifts for Good program (previously called Donations with a Difference). “I love my cow. I can play with him after school,” says Taufik, who is in second grade in junior high school, with his excited smile. “My favourite part is to feed him with grass,” he adds.

Ever since they received their cow, the family has a new task every afternoon to fetch grass from the nearest land. “I am teaching my children on how to be responsible with this activity,” says Sri Rahayu. The children, especially Taufik, are very much enjoying their new duty.

Taufik’s parents both work as street sweepers. They are the ones who keep the city clean. His mother also works as a ChildFund volunteer and believes that through ChildFund she has changed a lot. She has gained confidence from the knowledge she has learned, including basic economics for mothers and how to generate extra income for her family.

“We are thankful for the cow and also the training to breed it that was given to us,” she says. “Now I have several plans for our future because of our cow. Perhaps we will build a market stall or perhaps a small food place, anything which will help us to get more money for the family.”

Taufik’s family is one of 120 families living in Central Java who together received more than 500 animals: cows, ducks and chickens. The families were also provided with training to take care of and breed the livestock, so in the future they can generate an income from their animals. It really is the gift that keeps giving!

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