As the president of "Le Geste d'Amour" I normally go once or twice a year to Indonesia alone or with my husband and the godparents who travel with us to be with the SITINORAITI family and to do Humanitarian work.
Between September 2009 and September 2019 (10 years old) we saw 16 children passed by the SITINORAITI house.
16 children who found their way back and thanks to their stay in Sitinoraiti were able to build their lives on a good basis.
The children started their life in Sitinoraiti with fear for strangers, torn from their daily life, far from their family, far from their island and with the school delay, average of 3 years. They could not go to school because their families cannot afford the school fees and they should help financially by working.
Many of our children come from the island of Nias, which has suffered the tsunami twice. The children have had the trauma of not only losing their parents or a parent but also of being far from their families.
Children are offered by the social office in Pangururan. Parents are unable to take care of them. Their father is in prison and their mother is seriously ill.
We recently had the news that their parents have passed away due to Covid.
We returned in October 2019 with the vice president of Le Geste d'Amour and his wife from Indonesia and we want to keep you updated with some first news from Risnama and Gabe and the other children, Putri, Leni and Angel who are still in Sitinoraiti.
Gabé is a boy who loves to discover new things and very receptive to all the advice Ganda gives him.
Sometimes I have to correct him in his 'I'm the man of the house' behavior. At school Gabé is enjoying it. He is eager to learn and loves to play with school friends. He does his chores at home with pleasure and never complains.
Risnama had a harder time adjusting at first. Risnama is a girl who expresses very little. It is his gaze that "speaks" to us. With a sad and silent face when she feels bad and a big smile and singing when she feels good. She takes care of her chores around the house with great care. She is very serious and sometimes even too much for her age. She is very endearing when she feels confident with us. She needs a lot of hugs and she if it was possible she holds my hand all day. She is more fragile in relation to her health condition than Gabé. She has a cold very often and easily catches bronchitis. Regularly she needs bronchitis medication.
Putri is the youngest girl in the house. She is 7 years old and she is with Gabé and Risnama in the same primary school. She is the adopted daughter of Ganda and Yuli. Putri has been in Sitinoraiti since birth. His biological parents are on Molluque Island. Three days of travel by plane from Sitinoraiti. Putri with lung weakness is very often weakened by asthma attacks. If not so serious in school and likes to feel the 'princess'. She adores Sundays when they go to church because she can dress in a skirt and put on makeup.
Leni is an 18 year old girl who recently came out of the Stinoraiti house. She finished her administrative high school and is now looking for work in Medan (capital of the island of Sumatra).
Angel is the tallest 19-year-old girl at the moment in Sitinoraiti. She also finished her administrative high school. She works as a nanny and caregiver. She still lives in Sitinoraiti because her salary is not enough to be able to rent an apartment or a room. She is not yet sure if she wants to stay on Sumatra Island or she wants to come back to her Molluca Island where her whole family, siblings are.
The childrn who left Sitinoraiti
Delima, is Sitinoraiti's oldest child. After she finished her High School Vocational Administration, she worked in a factory in Medan. She lived with her mother in a very small house far from her job. After 2 years working 12 hours a day 6 days a week she got sick and it was too hard for her because he would also have to help her mother who was seriously ill. Délima is now married for two years and she has a 1 year old baby boy. With her mother, she takes care of a very small grocery store with essential products. Her husband works in local transport.
Bono moved to Jakarta after finishing his vocational high school in finance. He finished his University Finance study, after 4 years of working 6 days a week and attending University courses every night after his job. He graduated with honors.
Marinus underwent safety training and returned to his birthplace Nias. He was struggling to find a job in his Nias Island and sought security work in Medan. Eventually he found a job in Jakarta with the help of his adopted brother Bono.
Yulifao left Sitinoraiti to return to his family because his mother was seriously ill. He finished his high school in Nias. He worked for 1 year in Medan and he is our first student at Center Formation Hôtelier Matharion. He runs the Guesthouse ‘Forever Batak’.
Darman - Returned to her island Nias to take care of her seriously ill mother. He is in high school and lives with his mother in Nias.
Arifin is recently married and works in a factory. He is setting up his business. He wanted a business where he made bread.
Miesely works as a musician in Jakarta on Java island.
Miké, returned to her family and finished her schooling in Nias. She now works in Jakarta in a supermarket.
Leni has finished her high school administration and is now looking for a post in Medan.