Vision and Mission Statement

Vision: To nurture and embrace the children of The Children’s Sanctuary (a.k.a. Panti Asuhan Pondok Taruna) so they can become beacons of light to a lost world.

Mission:  To provide

• spiritual training to equip the children for life-long Christian ministry.
• a quality education to prepare them for the world of work.
• emotional, nutritional and medical support so they will grow up happy, healthy and full of hope.

The Children’s Sanctuary – A Christian orphanage in Jakarta, Indonesia

The Children’s Sanctuary is one of 14 Youth With A Mission (YWAM) orphanages in Indonesia.  This orphanage was founded in 1981 by Ibu Liudyawati and her husband, Bapak Loudy, and now serves over 160 children who range in age from 1 to 18 years of age. There are 35 full and part time staff who are involved in the day to day operations of the orphanage.  None of the staff receive a salary; they depend solely upon donations for their support.  The only exception may be some of the teachers in the school who receive a salary of approximately $50.00 per month.

Over the past several years the political instability, economic difficulties, and religious and ethnic violence have greatly affected the lives of thousands of Indonesian children.  Many have lost their family and means of support.  Some children arrive at the orphanage from outlying islands with no prior communication, bringing with them nothing but an empty stomach and the tattered clothes they are wearing.

Services and Ongoing Projects:

Elementary School: The Children’s Sanctuary orphanage has its own elementary school which not only serves the K-6 children living in the orphanage, but also reaches out to Muslim children in the surrounding community who cannot afford to attend local Indonesian public schools.  There is a great need to better equip and train the dedicated teachers who are currently teaching at the school. 

International English Service:  Over the past several years, a number of churches in Jakarta have supported The Children’s Sanctuary in one way or another.  One church, the International English Service (IES), has made a large commitment to the orphanage that includes the following projects: 

• Extending Friendship – BBBS Program.  This Big Brother, Big Sister program has paired up members of the church with children living at the orphanage.  The Big Brothers/Sisters visit their little brother/sister at the orphanage and occasionally take the child on recreational excursions, e.g., to the park or zoo. The Big Brother/Sister will read with their child and teach the child beginning English.
• Transferring Life-Skills-PAR Program.  The purpose of this program is to teach the children life skills and marketable skills that may help them earn an income when they leave the orphanage if they do not go on to a University or a technical college. Presently, approximately 55 children and staff from the orphanage are involved in the PAR program.  Skills taught include the following; flower arranging, keyboarding/computer skills, first aid, cooking, making cards, and sewing.

All Saints Anglican Church and Jakarta Christian Fellowship:  These two churches, in particular, have encouraged members of their congregation to sponsor one or more of the children for a year.  Children can be sponsored for food, clothing, and medical needs, as well as for school tuition and supplies.  These sponsorships have resulted in an improved diet for the children, and have allowed the students to continue their schooling in the public schools (Grades 7-12). 

Volunteer Mission Teams:  In March, 2005, a team of volunteers from the USA traveled to Jakarta to live and work at the Children’s Sanctuary to complete some major water and plumbing projects which have resulted in the orphanage now having a fresh water supply from a deep well.  Other construction projects were also undertaken during the two week visit.  Additional visiting teams would be most welcome to continue facility improvement! 

Present Needs:  God is abundantly blessing The Children’s Sanctuary yet there remain many needs.  Presently, the greatest needs include:

• Funding to provide appropriate teaching/learning materials and well trained teachers.
•  Medical, dental and vision examinations/services.  One child needs a heart operation.
• Fruit, vegetables, meat and fish to supplement their diet of mainly rice and water.
• Funding to pay tuition for those graduating high school seniors who dream of pursuing a higher education.

Accountability:   The Children’s Sanctuary has a group of overseers who meet regularly with Ibu Liu, the founder and director of the orphanage, to discuss how best to serve the needs of the children.  Every effort is made to be good stewards of the donations that God has blessed the orphanage with.  Expenditures are closely scrutinized and prayed over.  The orphanage committee is comprised of businessmen, medical doctors, accountants, educators, homemakers, and volunteer staff living at the orphanage.  The accountant provides periodic reports detailing the receipts and expenditures for the past reporting period.