Donating the age of Pa van der Steur in · Yayasan Pa van der Steur in Jakarta and Bekasi. The...
Transcript of Donating the age of Pa van der Steur in · Yayasan Pa van der Steur in Jakarta and Bekasi. The...
We are grateful for the fantastic support that has helped make this Bulletin possible.
We would like to thank the following people:
• Gyrithe Schack Bothmann - Grafisch Designer / www.chilidesign.co.uk
• Lydia Wong - Drukker / Pasifik Percetakan
• Ita Rahman - Fotograaf • Amber van Poppel - Schrijfster / amberopavontuur.weebly.com
• Paolina van Bragt - Adviseur
• Captain Martin Djakman - Transport
With many thanks to Terrence Lee, General Manager of hotel Penninsula, for the tremendous Christmas surprise!
Donating the age of Pa van der Steur in
money/change
Johannes van der Steur was a man of tradition. Every year, he would ask for his
age in money for his birthday. So on his 67th birthday, he asked for 67 quarters,
67 dimes, 67 nickels, or anything a gift-giver could spare.
Since we are celebrating a nice, round, symbolic 150th birthday this year, I would
love to reboot this tradition! I’d therefore like to ask all of you to donate Pa’s age in
money. Can you spare 150 cents, 150 dimes, 150 Euros or 150 50-cent pieces?
The children would really love to visit Pa’s tomb in Mangelan for this special
birthday. Can you help us realise their dream?
Nel de Borst
INDEX
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Chairman: Tom Jutte Saturnus 10 2353 WK Leiderdorp
Tel. 071-589 98 22
[email protected] Secretary: Marijke Kasten-v.’t Riet Treasurer: Eveline Gerritsen-
Kastein Postbus 82094 2508 EB Den Haag
[email protected] Members: Ed van Straten
Marijke Ross
Nel de Borst [email protected]
Message from the chairman ............................................. 2 Allow us to introduce ourselves ......................................... 3 Changes in the orphanage ............................................... 4 “And how are your studies?” ............................................. 6 The beginning ................................................................. 8 Childrens birthdays ......................................................... 11 Open House at Pa van der Steur ..................................... 12 Fun with a few of the guests ............................................ 13 My experiences by Ita ..................................................... 14 The Sponsors ................................................................ 16 The experiences of Paolina ............................................. 17 Tom en Ria Jutte and the kids ......................................... 19 A lunch with Telkomsel ................................................... 20 A new Oven, A burnt face ............................................... 21 Adoption application ....................................................... 23 Pa van der Steur ............................................................ 24
The Society of Friends of the Orphanage of Pa van der Steur:
The society focuses on continuing the work Johannes van der Steur began,
and its objective is to support orphaned and poor children in the homes of
Yayasan Pa van der Steur in Jakarta and Bekasi. The contribution is €19 per
year. A symbolic adoption costs €16 per month, €96 per six months or €192
per year. 10% of this will be a contribution to the society.
. Other information Bank account: NL22INGB0003184522 attn. Ver. Vrienden yayasan Pa van der Steur
Chairman: Tom Jutte, Saturnus 10, 2353 WK Leiderdorp; email: [email protected]
Secretary: Marijke Kasten-v.’t Riet, email: [email protected]
Adoption: Stans Stolte, te bereiken via email: [email protected]
From the Chairman
I won’t beat about the bush: there are some important topics I want to discuss with you. By Tom Jutte The situation in Bekasi My wife and I still regularly travel to
Indonesia (especially in “our” Dutch
winter), and it goes without saying that we
always include an extensive visit to the
orphanage in Pondok Gede, Bekasi. We
did not go last year, however, so when we
put in another appearance from 11 - 13
February, we were able to compare the
situation with that of February 2013, when
it was still run by the old management.
Well, WHAT A WORLD OF
DIFFERENCE!!! In her contribution to this Bulletin, Nel de
Borst explains the changes that she
introduced over the past two years, from
the time she started running the place
together with Brampi. And these
improvements are most apparent in the
children themselves. They are cheerful,
bond with the guests, have fun with each
other and have a positive attitude. Of
course, the house rules must be strictly
observed, and the way in which the kids
deal with it is great. The staff is also
much more aware of what is going on
and everyone enjoys their work. Nel,
Brampi and all other staff: you’re doing
such great work, and I am so proud that
our society supports such a wonderful
children’s home! In this Bulletin you will mainly find
contributions from the children
themselves and several dedicated
volunteers. A myriad of interesting and
amusing stories!!
2
Allow us to introduce ourselves
Currently, the orphanage is home to 65 children. Because you are likely to only know your adoptive child,
we thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to the rest.
These three children get the ball rolling!
The children were allowed to choose their own topic and have thought long and hard about this. Many
sheets of paper were thrown away in the quest for the perfect piece for the Bulletin! Happy reading!
HELENA PUTRI KEINASYA
BENANSIO F.I.
SAMENTO (NENSO)
FRISKA LUISEA Hello! My name is Friska Luisea. I
am 11 years old. My hobbies are
swimming and drawing. When I
grow up I want to become a
designer and photographer. I am
happy because I have many
friends. My favourite foods are fried
chicken and bread, and my
favourite drinks are water and
orange juice. My birthday is on 19th
April. I have a brother and a sister.
I am now in the sixth grade. My idol
is Taylor Swift and my favourite
songs are White Space, Red and
Love Story. My favourite colours
are purple, white and black.
Thank you!
Hi! My name is Benansio and I
am 9 years old. I go to the
primary school of Pa van der
Steur. I want to become an
international football player when
I grow up. My hobbies are
playing football and dancing. My
favourite foods are hamburgers
and hotdogs. My birthday is on
14th April. I have an older sister
called Brenda and a younger
cousin called Kansa. Brenda and
I live in the Pa van der Steur
orphanage where there is a lady
called Tante Nel who takes care
of us. Tante Nel makes sure that
there is money for all Pa van der
Steur’s orphans. In the boys’
house, Pa Hendrik and Tante
Anna are our caretakers.
Hi! My name is Helena. I am 9
years old. I am in the third grade of
the Christian primary school Pa
van der Steur and I live in the Pa
van der Steur orphanage. I want to
become a teacher when I grow up.
My hobby is playing with dolls. My
favourite food is nasi goreng (fried
rice). My birthday is on 7th
October 2005. I have a sister
called Nelsa. My favourite colours
are red, black, white, green, blue,
purple and pink. I hope that I will
become the best teacher ever and
I won’t become haughty or
arrogant. Here in the orphanage
there are two ladies from abroad
called Ita and Amber. In the girls’
house we have two caretakers
called Tante Wiwid and Tante
Feber. Both of them are great
caretakers.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Changes in the Orphanage
By Nel de Borst The beginning of my stay at the orphanage was
not so easy. When I arrived two years ago,
everyone was terrified. The children had been
raised in a militaristic manner and thought that
being beaten was part of their upbringing.
They didn’t dare tell you how they felt about
anything and were afraid to look you in the eye
when you talked to them. In the Netherlands I
was taught that it is rude not to look someone in
the eye when you are talking to them. So it was
quite difficult to teach them that they should look
at me.
They were allowed to contradict me if they
thought I was being unreasonable and thought
that they were right (as long as they put on their
lovely Indonesian charm), but it took a lot of hard
work to get the children this far. Now, two years
and many foreign guests later, they will ask you
how much you earn, whether you have a
boyfriend and how pretty your sister is without
batting an eyelid. The children talk with each
other, dare to vent (not just to each other but also
to me), have fun, and the boys and girls sit
together, even at mealtimes.
And it is not just the children who have changed.
During the first few months of my stay I was
petrified. There were cables dangling from the
ceiling and water ran down along them. Every
night I was sure the orphanage would catch fire.
My first action was to buy fire extinguishers and
extinguishing blocks. My second project involved
tidying away the cables and having the leaks
repaired so the water could not get near them
anymore.
I also tried to create a living room for the children
on the terrace of the girls’ house. The children
did not have anywhere cosy to sit, and the boys
stayed in the boys’ house while the girls stayed in
the girls’ house. With a few old couches, tables
and chairs from the time my father was here, I
created some Dutch cosiness in the ‘living room’.
The living room not only serves as a place to sit
for guests, but it is also where the children study
and take part in performances, fashion shows,
talent shows and all sorts of other expressions of
creativity.
I also immediately figured that every time a guest
arrived, he or she could sit in the living room and
all the children could sit around him or her to ask
them questions by throwing a ball around. This
way they not only get to know the guest, but also
learn about different cultures.
Meanwhile, they are no longer afraid to look the
guests in the eye, and when we have handsome
or pretty volunteers there are plenty of winks!
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The terrace
At the start, the kids believed in ghosts, and they saw
them everywhere. They could tell me exactly what a
ghost looked like. Slowly but surely I managed to
convince them that angels exist too. Angels without
wings, who walk this earth and support our work.
But the biggest change has been at the schools. We
completely changed the organisational structure. At
the moment, the Christian Pa van der Steur Schools
(Kindergarten, primary and secondary school) have
845 pupils. There are two language practice rooms
for the primary and secondary school respectively
and also a computer lab.
The Open House that we held in March was aimed at
attracting more pupils, not just for our schools but
also for the language courses in Mandarin, Japanese
and English that we offer. We are planning to build an
additional three large classrooms in future.
We are currently making every effort to make people
more aware of Pa van der Steur’s legacy. And with
your help, this will certainly succeed.
Questions for Paolina. The children of SMP Grade 3 hard at work so they can pass
their exams! (Junior High School, Grade 9
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“And how are your
studies?”
Een paar van de kinderen zitten ondertussen al op de universiteit of een hogeschool. Wij
vroegen hen hoe het met hun studie ging en dit is hun antwoord.
WENNY HARTINI SANTI
My name is Wenny Hartini Santi
and I study at Budi Luhu
University. My major is
International Relations. Every
day at 6 am, I take public
transport to the university,
where I usually stay until about
4 pm.
One day I accidentally walked
into the wrong classroom, and I
only realised when I had already
sat down. I think it happened
because I wasn’t paying
attention.
My favourite university subject is
Foreign Policy.
This subject deals with how
countries may need other
countries and how ambassadors
should introduce countries to
each other. FARENTIZA
My name is Farentiza.
I am currently attending the
Pushkom International School.
Pushkom is a special school for
Tourism and Hospitality. I have
learned so many things already!
Lessons I really love are Food
and Drink Service and Food and
Drink Products. These subjects
teach me how to prepare and
serve food and drink. I thought it
would be really easy, but when I
started practising at the Holiday
Inn Hotel in Jakarta I made
many mistakes. One of the
supervisors at the time showed
me what I had to do and how to
do it.
6
But when I wasn’t quite sure
what the supervisor meant I felt
quite awful. On the other hand, I
did learn things that I can do
much better now. I was also
allowed to practice with Food
and Drink Products. They
allowed me to eat an awful lot
over there!
Many of the chefs were a little
on the plump side; probably
because they eat a lot of the
food.
I am glad that I have the
opportunity to go to the
Pushkom International School.
My dream is to become a hotel
owner. I’ll try to make this dream
come true in the future, because
it will also give the people
around me hope!
With Oom Brampi and Tante Nel, my surrogate parents.
And Pa proudly watched from above ... “.
LEDY ARTI GRADUATES
I cannot imagine how different
my life would have been if my
mother hadn’t taken me to the
Pa van der Steur orphanage
when I was 9 years old. Perhaps
I would have been a girl with just
a Junior High School diploma.
10th March was a very special
day for me. It was the day I
graduated from the Bina Sarana
Informatika University. My major
was Computer Science
Management.
Life in the orphanage was not
as bad as I had imagined after
seeing things on television. I
met the friends I have now, and
was allowed to live with them;
friends from different parts of the
country, all with different
characters.
With these friends it doesn’t matter if you come from a broken home, that you’re an orphan or that your
Parents are poor, because here
you come together as one big
family. I am currently working at the Pa
van der Steur Foundation as
administrative assistant. I’ve
been lucky to have had the
opportunity to work with Tante
Nel.
She is extremely disciplined
and works very hard. The
employees at the Society have
always helped me and have
taught me how to do this work.
PA van der Steur is a place of
kinship and humour. Thank you
for everything. I have been
incredibly lucky!
7
The Beginning
By Amber van Poppel
Allow me introduce myself. I’m Amber, and I am 21 years old and come from Eindhoven. Currently
I am studying in Nijmegen, doing teacher training for English (teaching in secondary schools). I’m in my third
year and this means doing a compulsory internship. Many of my classmates went to England or Ireland, but I
wanted to go elsewhere. My grandparents are Indonesian, so Indonesia was the right choice for me. After a few
years of hard work and saving up I was finally able to realise my dream. I know Tante Nel through a friend of my
father’s and she welcomed me at orphanage Pa van der Steur with open arms. This is the start of my internship
here.
I arrived in Pondok Melati at the end of January. I
was here for a brief week before my visa ended.
Because I wanted to stay a little longer, I went to
Singapore to arrange a visa for 60 days. I now
have this visa, and my goal is to stay at the
orphanage for three months in total, speak
English with the children, and to teach at the
schools that are affiliated with the orphanage.
I get up every day at half past five to have
breakfast at 6 am. This was really difficult for me
on the first day, and at about 2 pm I just couldn’t
do it anymore. Luckily I found out that all children
over here go to school until around then and then
have an afternoon nap! I really love afternoon
naps, so I was delighted to discover this.
There is a girl named Eva, who is 12 years old,
who has taken charge of me. On the first day,
she said we would become best friends, and she
really helped me through the first days.
Since I myself am not religious and this is a
Christian orphanage, there are prayers before
and after every meal. But because I do not speak
Indonesian, I initially had trouble figuring out
when they started praying after singing, so Eva
would elbow me and (not so) subtly say “Pray!”
Me and the children hanging out on my first night here It is also a segregated orphanage: the boys and
girls sleep in different buildings and they see
each other during mealtimes and at school. One
evening I was wearing a low-cut shirt that I hadn’t
buttoned up all the way, and Eva helped me
again by subtly(!) saying “Amber, your shirt
(making a movement as if she was pulling up her
own shirt), it’s too sexy for the boys, they will
look.” Hahaha, thanks, Eva!
8
This is Firan. Firan loves to cuddle
and I like cuddling, so he would end
up
with his head in my lap.
Pa van der Steur
Got Talent, Glen
Moses dressed as a
princess
Playing table shuffleboard. When the boys found
out how my camera worked. From left to right
Timothy, Nenso, Mario and I.
Her little sister Vivi, 8 years old, is also sweet.
She speaks almost no English at all, but the first
morning I woke up at half past five, and she was
already standing next to my bed saying “Come,
come!” So I got dressed and she started pointing
at things and telling me what the words were in
Bahasa (Indonesian). The dining room, for
example, pointing to the boys’ building and to the
girls’ building and saying two different words. She
is really cute and sweet and a real cuddly kid
(although she tends to enforce the cuddles a little
by jumping on you so you do have to catch her).
After a month, I feel more than at home among
the children. In the lessons, the children find it
very interesting that there is a ‘bulé’ (foreigner) in
front of the class. Almost all children in the
orphanage try to speak English with me. And if
they do not speak English, we always have our
hands and feet.
Vivi and I together
There is a table shuffleboard made by the
handyman here. When the kids want to play with
it, they need someone to play with, so they will
point at the shuffleboard and say “play”, which is
something I understand, of course. At one point I
lent my mobile phone to one of the children while
we were playing shuffleboard and they
discovered how the camera worked.
One of the caretakers went to visit her father last
week, and Tante Nel was in a bit of a crisis trying
to figure out who was going to take over from
her, so I offered to help. Unfortunately this meant
that I had to get up at half past four to wake the
children. Of course, I kicked them out of bed with
love every morning and then went to work.
Having lunch with the little ones at half past
eleven every day was such a cute sight to see.
Although obviously none of them speak English
at all.
9
The children love to dress up and act and sing
and dance. We organised a “Pa van der Steur
Got Talent” show, where all of them could win
prizes, and they came up with the most fantastic
things. There were three boys who sang and
played music, a group of kids who performed
Snow White, and a boy who did stand-up
comedy. It was great! On one of the pictures you
see Glen Moses dressed as a princess.
Tante Paolina also celebrated her birthday here.
You can read about her experiences further on in
the Bulletin. The children staged a play for her to
show her how wonderful she was when she was
here and how she cared for the children. They
also sang to her. Dear people, when these kids
sing a song for you, you will get tears in your
eyes. Doesn’t matter how tough you are if you
are a man, or how stern you are if you are a
woman, you’re guaranteed to get emotional.
When the children shouted “WE LOVE YOU!”
and gave her a hug, we couldn’t help being in
floods of tears.
All the kids are very affectionate and loving. No
matter what you look like or what you are
wearing, they will like you in advance and will
welcome you with open arms and hearts. I think
it’s really awesome to know that even though
some of the children experienced a lot of trauma
when they were younger, they are still so positive
and so loving. If you ever have the chance to visit
the children here, I would definitely recommend
it!
.
I am going to be here for another two months and
then I’m going to travel through Indonesia. But I hope
to still experience many more fun, sweet, adorable,
funny, crazy, unique, exciting, or perhaps even sad
or boring stuff before then. Because this has already
become an experience I’ll never forget!
(Pssssttt! My most exciting experience at the
orphanage so far is mentioned later on in the
Bulletin!)
A selfie with the children. From
left to right: Ledi, Cika, Falen,
Feby and myself. The kids really
love taking photos, especially
selfies (photos of yourself).
During Tante Paolina’s birthday party. Ita
(another volunteer here) had made hamburgers
for all children; they were waiting for them
impatientl
Mario and I. We were
goofing around while
the rest of the
children were
practising for Tante
Paolina’s play
10
Childrens Birthdays
Everyone has a birthday. And that includes the lovely children at the Pa van der Steur orphanage. Want
to send a card to your adopted child on his or her birthday? Or you just love wishing all kids a happy
birthday? Below you can find all birthdays! The kids would love it and be thrilled with a card! (The
underlined names are the children’s nicknames. The indicated children do not have adoptive parents
yet).
January
01-01-1998 Petrus Saiya
05-01-1996 Tuderi Nenobais (Yoksan)
09-01-1997 Farentiza Andreati Ari Parmesti (Faren)
24-01-2004 Rio Okarino Garibaldy (Oka)
25-01-2004 Alfian Perdamaian Petrus
27-01-1998 Putri Amelia
February
06-02-1996 Falen Frensyer Sarajar
08-02-1999 Leonardo Lorenzius Tarigan (Leo)
17-2-1995 Yesika
Febby Yohana Naulita Hutapea
20-02-1999
March
02-03-2004 Marchel Ivandra Gunawan
04-03-2006 Vanilla Valencia CC
28-03-2002 Lydia Anastasya Ginting
31-03-2004 Evangeline Martha Pratiwi (Eva)
April
09-04-2004 Timotius Karel Usmany (Timo)
14-04-2001 Benansio F.I. Samento (Nenso)
14-04-2001 Nelsa Nathalia Kinanti
19-04-2003 Friska Luisea
19-04-2001 Ginta Albertina Ginting
27-04-2014 Raphael Petrus Prasojo
May
11-05-1972 Mery Wohon
20-05-1999 Andi Setiawan
23-05-1990 Lady Arti
25-05-1999 Yohana Amelia Saiya
June
07-06-2001 Juanito Carlos Saraya (Juan)
11-07-2007 Glenn Moses Junior Hallatu
12-06-2008 Brian
14-06-2005 Ye Eskiel Siringo-Ringo
16-06-1996 Susi Greselawati
16-06-1996 Winda Nelyani Gea
18-06-2004 Angelina Rosari Soegondo (Ocha)
18-06-2002 Brenda Caroline Antoneth
22-06-2000 Alfius David Aditya
July
08-07-2000 Jessica Juletha (Cika)
09-07-2006 Timoty Alexander R.B.
10-07-1995 Fransiska Pelupessy (Siska)
15-07-2005 Archangela Cherryl
August-2004 Alfian Perdamaian Petrus 06-08-2003 Adellya Lourence (Adel)
11-08-1999 Bintang Hardi Prakoso
14-08-2003 Jocelyn Adonia C.P.
17-08-1998 Carina Georgina (Carin)
September
04-09-2007 Moses Gregory Tuff
25-09-1994 Seprianto (Sepri)
12-09-1994 Wenny Hartini Santi
17-09-1998 Daniel Usmany
09-04-2004 Timotius Karel Usmany (Timo)
25-09-1997 Jerie
28-09-2007 Firan Darmawan
October 07-10-2005 Helena Putri Keinasya
09-10-2000 Angelina Sabarina (Angel)
13-10-2000 Hendri Kristian Susetyo
14-10-1996 Markus Frederiks
19-10-2000 Hanaa Oktavia Siringo Ringo (Naya)
30-10-2000 Devanca Oktavia (Vanka)
November-2005 Ye Eskiel Siringo-Ringo 09-11-2005 Naufal Cristian Petrus
12-11-1998 Lefritha Sonia Anabella (Pritha)
14-11-1998 Reformasita Elena
16-11-2004 Christian Imanuel Hallatu
24-11-1999 Yonatan
December-2 09-12-2000 Rio Orinoco Caecarean (Orin)
15-12-1997 Natasha Sarawati
15-12-2007 Mario Liem
18-12-2001 Oskar Reynaldo Djonga (Naldo)
19-12-2006 Violina Natalia (Vivi)
24-12-1993 Siprianus Bahan (Sipri)
11
Open House at
Pa van der Steur
By Nel de Borst and Amber van Poppel
Moses takes part in the Colouring Competition
On 21st and 28th February and on 7th March, it was Open House at de Pa van der Steur schools. These
days were organised to give people the opportunity to get to know our schools and to give those who
already know our schools the opportunity to have a look at new courses such as Mandarin, Japanese and
English. The three Saturdays were
dedicated to putting the children
of PvdS and the schools in the
spotlight. Children from other
schools were invited to participate
in various competitions and as a
parent you could enjoy yourself at
the market which sold
entertaining, pretty and funny
things.
21st February saw the start of the
Futsal competition. Futsal is
football played on a small field.
Here they play on a concrete
floor. Parents and friends
standing along the sidelines
cheered everyone on, and every
time someone scored there was a
deafening noise from the
audience, no matter which team
had actually scored the goal. For
the littlest children there was a
colouring competition; they were
allowed to sit and enjoy some
colouring in the school’s large
auditorium.
The Futsal competition continued and finished on 28th February. There was also a storytelling competition, during which the children of all the nearby schools and a number of pupils of PvdS told
Sale of forms for the new school
year a story, fairytale, legend or myth
to the audience in English. Kids
dressed up in costumes and
made good use of the many
attributes on stage. The
participants were between 9 and
12 years old.
The last day, the 7th of March,
was also the busiest day. That
day, the market was in the school
yard, since the Futsal competition
was over. In the morning there
was a fashion competition for the
littlest ones and a Photogenic
Competition, with all kids dolled
up to the nines and practising
different poses for the
professional photographer.
The most important event that day
was the awarding of prizes to all
the winners of all the competitions
of the previous Open House days.
The children of the Pa van der
Steur orphanage helped in the
stall during those days. They had
made jewellery, tea light holders
and postcards, had helped Ita
bake banana bread and hot dogs,
and tried to sell as many of those
as possible with great
enthusiasm.
Pupils are incredibly important to
us. You need to look after your
children and raise them well,
because they are the future! We
therefore think that these days
reflected very well on both our
children and our schools!
The market stalls. All tables
covered with yellow tablecloths.
12
Fun with
(A few of)
the Guests
Senya en Ron Gomez with the girls. Nels two Robin Hoods Colonel Janine Knackstedt and her daughter arrived with three cars full of toys and learning supplies
Ita (left) and Amber (right) take public transport after Markus and Jerie have been received by the Church
Real estate company Century 21 plays games with the children
Stans Stolte showed a picture of a table shuffleboard to the handyman, who copied it in no time, to the delight of the children. Since Stans took the photo, she is not in the picture
Adayanti de Borst together with
Vivi during the Christmas party.
13
My
Experiences
By Ita Rahman
With Moses, who soon started calling me ‘Mama Ita’
The sale of hot dogs was difficult on the first Open House day. But the children didn’t mind because they could eat them that night!
The girls
Pa vd Steur Band.Talented children at the orphanage.
De boys play futsal everyday
Baking cookies
14
Teaching English songs to the kindergarten class Hendri kneads the dough for
the bread roll
Vivi makes the cookie dough
Baking cookies
Photoshoot: Brothers Juan en Falen We had such fun roasting corn. Treats from Ajeng.
Tante Nel – a unique woman with a golden heart. Words alone are not enough to describe her
Firan. My thunder and lightning in a good way
Pa’s bell used to call the children. Brought from Magelang
15
The
Sponsors
Sandy, Jeanette, Hermine and Irma Pane. Irma, President Director of Air Fast
Indonesia, offered all children with a good set of brains a pilot training or
mechanical engineering scholarship
Bank Rakyat Indonesia presents a cheque for 20 million
Rupiah to Brampi, for the Open House
A gift from Bank Mandiri
De dochter van Andrew Stone die boeken inpakt die naar de kinderen van het weeshuis gaan
Skates, a donation from Grooves FlySwagger
Rider 1
A huge
donation
from the
diplomats of
the Canadian
Embassy in
Jakarta
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Paolina’s Experiences
By Paolina van Bragt It had been years since I was last at the orphanage. In the meantime, I had heard so
much about all the changes that had been introduced that I wanted to come back and
have a look. Last month, the time had finally come. I landed at
Cengkareng Airport where the scent of the
tropics was instantly recognisable. I felt at home
straightaway when I saw Nel’s familiar face.
The children were waiting for me at the gate of
the girls’ house. They spontaneously sang “We
wish you a Happy Welcome...” I wasn’t sure if it
was fatigue, but I got tears in my eyes.
Later that afternoon I got acquainted with all the
children. It was lovely to sit with them on the
terrace. They wanted to know everything about
me.
When the bigger kids went to their English
lessons in the evening, I played with the little
ones. We sat on a mat in a circle and acted out
something that the other group had to guess. The
kids are really good at this game. I couldn’t help
but grin when I realised that every single child
was able to act something out in no time. Their
knack for dramatising things was fantastic. And
some are really good at listening. We had a lot of
fun.
Because of my background in child psychology,
Nel had asked me to help the caregivers here
with ways to deal with traumatized children. I was
glad that I was able to help out with this. I
realised it was hard for the caregivers to do this
when they had not been trained.
Time in the orphanage flew past. I
was sad to say goodbye, but I was
visiting my parents, which was the
ultimate goal of my visit to Jakarta.
Fortunately, it was still not really
goodbye. Nel had invited me to
come over for my birthday a week
later, so I could celebrate with the
kids in the orphanage.
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I was also allowed to bring my parents and my
brother and his family.
It was really lovely to be with my family to
celebrate my birthday on the terrace. To my
amazement, an old friend whom I had not seen
for many years suddenly popped up. I was so
flabbergasted I could barely speak. In addition, I
didn’t think it was very nice to Nel, because she
had only invited my family. Luckily Nel assured
me that it didn’t matter.
“One more or less is no problem,” she said.
Paralysed with horror, I saw all my old friends
slowly arrive one by one; a group of friends with
whom I was incredibly close at school and whom
I hadn’t seen for years.
When everyone had taken up a seat around me,
I finally realised that it was a Surprise Party, and
that it was definitely not a coincidence.
Suddenly all the lights went off on the terrace.
The door of the girls’ house opened. A long line of
children, to which there seemed to be no end,
came out, each child carrying a cupcake and a
burning sparkler. It reminded me of Christmas,
until the children spontaneously started singing
“Selamat ulang tahun Tante Paolina”. Later, the
children came to me and asked me if they were
allowed to eat the cupcakes. It was adorable.
The play “An Angel without Wings” they staged
afterwards; the delicious burgers made by Ita, our
volunteer from Ireland; the full rice table and
finally the farewell song of the children (composed
by Amber, another volunteer from Netherlands) ...
It was incredibly touching. It was a birthday I will
never forget.
I hope to come back very soon, but with my whole family.
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Tom and Ria Jutte
and the Kids
With the teachers of the Primary
School
Re-introduction to the office staff
A cheerful group on the way to the
auditorium Speech by the President of the Society of Friends,
to the staff. Pa listened from above.
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A lunch with Telkomsel and Bank Rakyat
Indonesia By Nel de Borst “Nel, we would like to have a tour of the premises of the Yayasan Pa van der Steur.”
During the Christmas celebrations, the two
Tekomsel bosses had looked around them with
interest.
“Anytime” I replied with a broad grin. Telkomsel
and Bank Rakyat Indonesia had just pledged to
donate 25 million and 20 million rupiah
respectively at the Open House to promote the
Pa van der Steur schools. And so, on 20th
March, Tekomsel and Bank Rakyat Indonesia
came for a special lunch and a tour.
“Children ... This is your chance to network with
the bosses of these companies,” I told the kids.
The children took the microphone without
hesitation. “How can we become as successful
as you?” was the first question from Bintang.
The next question was from Ocha, who asked:
“Can we do an internship at your company
when we are older?”
“What are the possibilities for getting a loan
when you want to open a business in future?”
was the next question. As I stood there
listening to the children, I felt so incredibly
proud. It is pretty difficult to get behind a
microphone and ask a question. The fact that
they dare to do this is such a great victory.
While enjoying a delicious meal, I asked
Telkomsel to help us establish a direct live
connection between the Yayasan in Pondok
Gede and the upcoming Tong Tong Fair in The
Hague.
“Of course we want to help!” was the
spontaneous response. “I will talk about this to
my team at my office straightaway.”
“Alistair, we know you come from Ireland, and
in Indonesia it is customary that we give people
Oleh oleh when they go home. Instead, I have
baked Irish bread for you,” said Ita, our
volunteer from Ireland.
Surprised, Alistair smelled the bread, which
was still warm as it came straight from the
oven. “I will really enjoy this tonight,” he said,
eyes shining.
Thank you, Telkomsel and Bank Rakyat
Indonesia for your support in the promotion of
the schools of Pa van der Steur. We look
forward to an excellent collaboration!
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A New Oven.
A Burnt Face.
By Amber van Poppel
A while ago I went oven hunting with
Ita (another volunteer) and Tante
Martha (the secretary at the office)
and driver Pa Putu. Yup. The kitchen
needed another oven and Tante Nel could not
come with us. I found that quite difficult: buying
an oven for an orphanage when the big boss isn’t
there! So, being a real European, I thought “Oh,
we’ll just go to a shop where they sell ovens,”
which turned out to be true! But it was not quite
the kind that we are used to. It was a shop,
indeed, but a small shop at the side of the road.
And it sold ovens. Which means the shop
appeared even smaller.
We then talked with Martha about the type we
needed, and she called Tante Nel in Indonesian,
then Tante Nel talked to us about what makes a
good oven and how much the man said it should
cost in Dutch, then we talked to Martha in
English, who then talked to Tante Nel by phone
in Indonesian, and who then gave the telephone
to the man selling ovens. I thought the to-ing and
fro-ing was quite funny. And Tante Nel bargained
like a trooper over the phone, because the
salesman eventually reduced the price by
400,000 rupiah!
Alright, here it comes. The bit of the story you
have all been waiting for because I thought of
such a catchy title. In the afternoon, Ita and I
wanted to bake cupcakes for the children.
Because I had been teaching at the primary
school all morning. So I mashed bananas, peeled
and de-pitted rambutans (a type of lychee) and
got the cupcake cases ready with the kids while
Ita made the batter. Then she asked me if I could
switch on the oven.
The nice, new oven that we bought with the
money Tante Nel gave us from that teeny tiny
little shop alongside the road. Eagerly, I
checked how the oven worked and went to light
it. The oven was connected to a gas cylinder
with two pipes that had a valve, and I knew that
I had to light the gas in the oven with the lighter.
So, I opened the valves on the gas cylinder.
Opened both pipes. Ignited the upper gas flow.
Asked where I should ignite the lower gas flow,
but it took a while before I found it. Opened the
cover, looked carefully to find where I had to
ignite it, lighter ready, *click*, VOOOOM! Huge
flame right into my face! Aaaaaaaarghhh!!!
Wipe wipe wipe, water water water, run run run,
tap whew!
I have never been so shaken in my life. I felt the
flame on my face and wiped it straightaway
because I hoped the flame wouldn’t burn my
face via my hair.
I was so shocked that I just stood there and
cried, and the first thing I thought was drat it;
my eyelashes have been burnt away. It was not
chill. It burned and hurt and I could not stop
crying and all the children were standing around
me, so I asked them “Am I still beautiful?” to
which they replied in unison “YES!”
Just in case, we went to the hospital to check if
anything had been damaged. I had to fill in a
form, and under personal information they
asked me for my religion, but I don’t have one.
So Ita told me to just write “Christian”, because
it is weird and unheard of not to have a religion
around here.
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My face is cooled with
cotton in the hospital
One day after the burn.
Obvious bags under my
eyes
Well, then someone from First Aid came and
cooled my face with lots of wet balls of cotton
wool. See pictures. I was able to laugh again!
Then they put on an ointment that was supposed
to help against the burning feeling. And sure
enough, it went away immediately. Slight problem
was that it was based on sesame oil. So I
smelled of sesame seeds. I felt like a piece of
sushi.
Then when I came home the children were all
asking me how I was, and even though I wasn’t
feeling that well, because, hello, my face had
been on fire, I went to dance with the children
(they had a dancing lesson) and they managed to
cheer me up with terrible dance moves and
jokes. They are such darlings!
My face, gleaming
with the sesame
seed ointment
when I came out of
hospital In the evening the caretaker told the children that
they should not touch the oven, and that only the
kitchen staff, Ita and me were allowed to do so.
When I told Tante Nel about this, she said “Of
course, can you imagine the things that could
happen, it’s so dangerous!” So I replied: “Uh,
yes, Tante Nel, I can imagine. Look at my
eyelashes ...!”
So I went around with fat eyes for two days,
because my eyelids had been burnt and the bit of
skin that is underneath my eyes too, so it looked
like I had huge bags under my eyes. See picture.
Meanwhile everything has completely healed,
thank goodness. Both my eyelids and the area
under my eyes. The only thing that hasn’t quite
recovered are my eyelashes.
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Adoption
Symbolic Adoption is a very
direct and personal way to
support the children’s home Pa
van der Steur in Jakarta/Bekasi
Adopting a child who lives in the
home costs €192 a year (or € 16
a month). You can of course
adopt more than one child, or
adopt together with friends or
relatives, or as an association or
institution. Through direct contact
(mainly in writing) with your
adoptive child, your relationship
with the orphanage will become
truly special.
By adopting, you also become a
member of our society. 10% of
your adoption fee is regarded as
a contribution. For this, you
receive our annual Bulletin and
other information. In addition,
90% of your contribution goes
entirely to the home and the
education and development of all
the children who stay there. For
details about adoption, please
refer to our website
www.pavandersteur.org where
you will find more details.
The following is important:
• Our association is an ANBI
institution known under (tax)
number 8017.55.840.
Any donations are eligible for tax
deductions.
• Our bank account number is:
NL22INGB0003184522 attn.
Vereniging Vrienden Yayasan
Pa van der Steur
Can we welcome you as adoptive
parent?
Testamentary Disposition Those who wish to remember Yayasan Pa van der Steur in their will can do
this through our society.
The official name of our society is:
Vereniging Vrienden van de Yayasan Pa van de Steur.
Association Act passed before the notary G.W. Krabbe in The Hague dated
17th July 1991.
Registered with the Chamber of Commerce under No. 404.127.28.
ANBI institution recognised under tax number 8017.55.840
Support the work of Pa van der Steur. Stay a member. Become a member.
Encourage others to become a member by not throwing away this Bulletin
but by passing it on to friends, relatives or acquaintances.
.......................................................................................................
Application form
This undersigned: ............................................................................................................ Address:............................................................................................................................ Postcode & City: .............................................................................................
Starting on...................................................... wishes to become a member / donor / adoptive parent for the Vereniging Vrienden van de Yayasan Pa van der Steur.
He she undertakes to pay ………………. annually, with a minimum of € 19.
(Adoption: €€ 16 per month per child, or € 192 annually)
Bank account: NL22INGB0003184522 attn. Ver. Vrienden Yayasan Pa van
der Steur.
Date: ........................................... Signature: .................................................... Please send this form to:
A.J.Jutte
Saturnus 10
2353 WK Leiderdorp, the Netherlan
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PA VAN DER STEUR
150 YEARS OLD AND STILL VERY MUCH
ALIVE!
By Nel de Borst On 10th of July 2015, we commemorated the fact that Johannes van der Steur was born 150 years ago. At 27 years
old, he moved to what is now Indonesia to start doing the job he became known to us for. It is now 123 years
later, but when you see the pictures of all the children in this Bulletin, who are very much alive, you will realise
that his posthumous work, the Yayasan Pa van der Steur in Jakarta and Pondok Gede still exists.
Here, children who no longer have parents or who have a father and/or
mother who can no longer take care of them, are welcomed with open arms
and raised, educated and prepared for Indonesian society in the spirit of
Johannes van der Steur.
Bram Bernard and Pa
Pa’s love for children
If you are in Jakarta and have some spare time, please come and have a look at the Yayasan Pa van der Steur.
It is easy to get to via the Jalan Tol. Once you have made an appointment by emailing
[email protected] you will receive a warm welcome. You can get an impression via this short Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3gbL_DlCDc
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