One of the highlights for many who visit Soe, and even Timor itself, is a visit to Ume Manekan. Ume Manekan is a maternity hospital and orphanage run by Ibu Christiaan. Ume Manekan is on Jl Kartini just off the main street of Soe. It’s about 300 metres from the Wisma Bahagia 1 Hotel.

It was through her maternity hospital that Ibu Christian began her orphanage. Usually only the wealthy and middle class people would go to her because of costs. Village women mostly have their children at home with help of friends and relatives. Only when complications arise are the women brought into Ibu Christiaan for help. By then it is often too late. The journey is long, over mountainous terrain. Many women and babies die unnecessarily. Quite frequently the babies live after the mother has died.

Village families often have no means to support a new born child after its mother has died. Surrogate mothers are not usually available, and infant formula is expensive. One tin can cost up to a month’s wages for a subsistence farmer. Not to mention problems with hygiene related to using it.

The babies are often left at Ume Manekan until they are weaned and on solid food. Sometimes the children are there for months. Some are just abandoned. These children stay there and are fed, clothed and educated. Ibu Christiaan takes them at her own expense.

Ume Manekan’s work is terrific. It’s not big and its not well funded. The building is small, cold and bare. The babies are clothed in old clothes. But the fact is that Ibu Christiaan is making a difference. She is making the world a better place for a few people. That’s beautiful.

Students from Darwin schools visit Ume Manekan every year and spend time there. They help dress and change the babies. They also cuddle and feed them. They play games with, talk to, or cuddle the older children. Everybody can contribute something whilst there.

We encourage schools and other visitors to go to Ume Manekan. Be generous. Take a small gift for the older kids and a bag of good quality second hand baby and children's clothes. Buying tins of infant formula from the local shops can help decrease the financial burden upon the home.

Questions / activities

1. What is Ume Manekan? 2. How do the mothers often die unnecessarily? 3. What happens to orphans in your state? 4. What can your class do to assist the children? 5. Write a letter to the older children at the home.

Extra Activities, Comprehension, Discussion and Research Questions

1, As a class join the World Vision 40 Hour Famine to help the needy.

2. Invite a World Vision representative to come into your class to talk about projects in Indonesia. Perhaps your school could support a child in Timor.

3. Fund raise for Ume Manekan. Eg: Sell food one recess or lunch time ... try satays or jelly cups, spiders or kue dada (Indonesian green pancakes with coconut and sugar rolled up inside).

4. Escape gender roles. Invite to school several mothers with babies. Are the boys ‘man enough’ to change a nappy.

5. Arrange a visit from a representative of Australian’s Adopting Children to talk about international adoption.

6. Where is Ume Manekan?

7. How did Mrs Christian start Ume Manekan?

8. What factors would keep village women at home for births?

9. What is a surrogate mother?

10. What hygiene problems are associated with bottle feeding? Why are there no such problems with breast feeding? Prepare arguments for and against breast feeding.

11. Community Aid Abroad is running a campaign against Nestle. Why? Find their site to find out why.

12. What is structural poverty?

13. To escape poverty requires work on many aspects of people’s lives. What are the things that keep people poor?

14. What is AUSAID doing to help Indonesia?

15. Are there any local based groups that are helping in East Timor. Is there something practical you can do for this new Nation?