Indonesia's Inflation Orphans
Most of us cringe at hearing the word inflation. It takes a toll on everyone's pocketbook, but for many Indonesians, it is also tearing families apart.
Many Indonesian parents are being forced to place their children in orphanages. In a country where 100 million people live on less than a dollar a day, skyrocketing costs of food and fuel are making it difficult for families to feed themselves. Childcare institutions offer the children not only food, but also an education and the chance at a brighter future.
"I know my children are angry with me, but I try to convince them that is the best choice for us.… As a mother I want to take care of my children but I cannot be selfish. I want the best future for them, so I have no choice," said Tinor Niang, a mother who brought her two sons to an orphanage in central Jakarta nine years ago.
Only 6 percent of the 500,000 Indonesian children in childcare institutions are orphans, according to a recent report released by Save the Children in conjunction with UNICEF and the Indonesian government. Many of the institutions were understaffed, the report found, with nearly half running on less than $10,000 a year. When not being schooled, the children were found cooking and cleaning while caring for themselves and those younger than them.
While rising costs put financial pressure on parents, the children bear the price emotionally. "I just want to be with my parents, even if it means I cannot get an education," says 13-year-old Yulianto who has spent half his life in an orphanage.
Some parents argue that education is worth the emotional toll. "I just want him to get a proper education," says one mother who had to take her 11-year old to an orphanage. "I hope that one day he'll do something useful for this country and help his brothers, because we are living in poverty."
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Perhaps more shocking
Perhaps the more shocking way of phrasing the statistic mentioned above is that of Indonesia's orphaned children, 94% of them actually have parents. Those parents just don't have the means to take care of them — and I've heard the term "social orphans" given to such groups of children.
I think a lot of Americans may be surprised by this post — that parents would be willing to give up their children in the midst of hard (ok, maybe more like impossible) economic times. However, similar actions were taken by significant numbers American parents during the United States' Great Depression. I grew up hearing about my grandfather's time spent in an orphanage in Los Angeles, CA. No, his parents weren't deceased, but in the face of not being able to afford food for her children, his mother took her three sons to an orphanage. Eventually his father took the boys in again — but it was seen as a temporary fix during tough times. I wonder how prevalent this practice is all over the world?
Violence against children
IRIN is reporting that rising food prices in Pakistan are resulting in some parents committing violent acts against their own children. A Pakistani man claims the food crisis is to blame for his murderous rampage against his own children. After clubbing to death four of his six children, the man claimed he would rather see his children dead than starving. Locals have condemned his actions, but sympathized with the frustration resulting from being unable to feed one's family. Pakistani officials are also reporting increasing numbers of children being handed over to local charities because parents can no longer provide for them.
Unwanted teenagers in Nebraska?
A new "safe haven" law in Nebraska makes it so parents can drop off children of any age at state hospitals if they feel like they can no longer care for them. As a result, the state has seen a recent influx of children. But they are not the infants that most U.S. states provide for under these laws — they are teenagers. The most talked about case was a father who dropped off 9 of his 10 children, ages 1 to 19 at a local hospital, claiming that after his wife died he could no longer care for them.
State officials are saying that parents are abusing the law by dropping off teenagers that they find hard to deal with.
A closer look at the children dropped off recently reveals that many had emotional and mental disturbances and leaves many wondering about the state of Nebraska's social services. It seems as if many parents sought help regarding mentally unstable children but could not find the resources to care for them.
The results of the new law have many people arguing that the law needs to be more carefully worded so that it can't be taken advantage of. Others believe the state should take care of all unwanted children — whatever their age.
It seems to me though that Nebraska needs to take a careful look at resources available to parents, however. It seems as if it would be far cheaper for the state to provide resources for parents to take care of their own child's issues, than take on a large number of troubled adolescents.
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