A message from the co-ordinator of donations:
Some moms asked what items are in need. As far as I know, they need
anything that poor people needs. What I'm saying is, they need the
basic baby/children stuff that every parent needs for their child.
What they don't need is the luxuries that we city-folks buy, e.g.
steam sterilisers, breastpumps, teething gels, branded items, etc.
So far, I've received both brand new & old items from mothers in 2006
and 2007. Examples are:
thermos flasks
blankets / bedsheets / curtains
milk powder (no bottled food)
little cash
baby clothes, booties, caps, bottles, diapers (cloth & disposable
ones)
warm clothing
various battery-operated toys / soft-toys / small toys / books /
encyclopedias / pencils / coloured crayons
foldable playpens
Some of the village kids are so poor that they re-use their exercise
books over and over again, by erasing the old markings. Some wear torn
uniforms to school or go to school on empty stomachs. Some are lucky
as Capt Budi's wife goes to their school each day with food for them.
She feeds like 100 kids in school each day. A boiled egg is a luxury
for them.
However, Budi DOES NOT WANT prams, bicycles, wooden cots, TVs,
mattresses and large bulky items. He has problems shipping his load
over to Jakarta, where he then loads onto a truck for a 7-10 day
ferry-land journey to Timor.
Clothes that are slightly stained are ok with us. We take them. Better
to have stained clothes than be cold. Budi's priority are the
children, keeping them warm and fed. Do read my friend Amy's write-up
on Budi's weblog
www.roslinorphanage.org for detailed life of
orphanage kids. The children at the orphanage are very privilege by
the local standard. We are concern about the kids OUTSIDE the
orphanage who don't get enough food and water. Thus explains my
current effort to raise funds to buy a water-truck.
