They Are Forced to Become Orphans

HUMAS PEMKOT SURABAYA

Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi on Saturday (21/8/2021), was visiting a child whose parents died of Covid-19.

Until the end of June, Fiona Husen, 13, James, 11, and Charles, 4, never thought they would lose both their parents almost at the same time. On 29 June, 2021, their mother died of COVID-19 in their rented house. When the tears had not yet dried up, two weeks later, their father also passed away.“I just hope that I will be able to take care of my younger siblings. Hopefully, we can become children that our parents can be proud of, be a blessing to others and be useful to the nation and state," Fiona said on Saturday (21/8/2021).

Fiona still remembers how her mother, Siti Fatimah, 45, struggled with the coronavirus. She was taken care of only by her father, Vincentius, 46, without medical treatment.

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During self-isolation, the family, who came from Ruteng, Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, received minimal attention from local residents. In fact, when Siti’s health got worse and the family had to find an ambulance, none of the neighbors helped them. She died at their rented house on Jl. Bambu Kuning Selatan, Rawalumbu, Bekasi, West Java.

After she died, her body was sent to the nearest hospital and then buried with COVID-19 protocols. Only their father witnessed the burial of their mother.

The night after his wife\'s burial, Vincentius immediately had a fever. Vincentius\' friend from his village in NTT, First Sergeant Eduardus Marung, an Army soldier in the fifth Air-Supplied Transport Battalion, came to help him. He then took Vincentius to a hospital.

Four days later, Vincentius\' condition worsened and he was referred to Tebet Hospital. After more than a week of treatment, on 12 July, 2021, he died.

After his father was buried, Fiona and her two younger siblings were brought by Eduardus to his house, where they lived together.

During their father\'s treatment in the hospital, Eduardus sent food and necessities to Fiona and her siblings every day. After his father was buried, Fiona and her two younger siblings were brought by Eduardus to his house, where they lived together.

"If I leave them in the rented house, I don\'t know what will happen to them," said Eduardus.

Kompas/Priyombodo

Residents watch a funeral in a new area specifically for Covid-19, Jombang, South Tangerang, Banten, Tuesday (27/7/2021).

Meanwhile, Godelva Satya, 17, a teenager who lives in the city of Jayapura, Papua, was also orphaned by COVID-19. On Friday (6/8), his mother, Elizabeth M Tobing, 45, died of COVID-19. The loss of her mother was a heavy blow for Godelva and her younger siblings, Ciko, 15, and Valen, 11, as well as her older sister, Putri, 21. Their father had passed away eight years ago.

Their mother took her last breath an hour after she was taken to the hospital. Godelva, who accompanied her mother, could only sit weakly on the floor when the doctor stopped pumping her mother\'s heart.

“After the doctor said that my mother had died, I immediately grabbed the doctor\'s hands. I said, \'Can the doctor try one more time?\' But the doctor didn\'t respond. I immediately prayed to Our Father into my mother’ ears. I was so panicked and I repeatedly prayed to Our Father, but I forgot a few words. Finally, I prayed to Our Father using the Waropen language," Godelva said on Monday (9/8).

Until now, Godelva still feels guilty because her mother had contracted COVID-19 after taking care of her, who was first exposed to COVID-19.

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Laira Wara, 18, also felt deep sorrow. On Wednesday (21/7), her father and mother died almost at the same time. Budi Endra, 51, his father, died at about 2 p.m. While the family was still preparing his father\'s funeral, his mother, Dwi Suwarni, 48, died at about 6 p.m.

Both died after being treated at Dr Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta. They died when they were lining for further treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Not recorded yet

Fiona, Godelva, Laira and their siblings are just a handful of children whose parents have died because of the pandemic. So far, there are no detailed figures on the number of children who have lost their parents. Some estimate the number to be in the tens of thousands.

As for the Special region of Yogyakarta, the number was estimated at 526 children, in Central Java about 200 children and West Java around 500 children.

The Social Ministry estimates that COVID-19 had created between 15,000 and 16,000 half-orphans and double-orphans. Provincial data from the ministry indicates that as of Wednesday (18/8), the number of both half-orphans and double-orphans due to COVID-19 in East Java reached 927 children. As for the Special region of Yogyakarta, the number was estimated at 526 children, in Central Java about 200 children and West Java around 500 children.

Data from the Imperial College London‘s website, which was compiled by the Kompas Research and Development team, showed that the number of children who lost their parents in Indonesia was estimated at 38,127 people.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Children play without wearing masks on the banks of the West Canal, Petamburan, Central Jakarta, even though the Covid-19 Task Force that goes around reminds residents to always wear masks, on Wednesday (7/7/2021).

According to a member of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Jasra Putra, under current conditions, the government must be present by establishing a child data collection system so that the response can be carried out properly. Children who are orphaned by the pandemic need not only material assistance, but also moral and social support, care, education, health and trauma therapy.

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According to a child and family psychologist at the Integrated Clinic of the School of Psychology, University of Indonesia (UI), Anna Surti Ariani, the experience of losing a parent to COVID-19 can confuse children about the next steps of their lives. Regarding parenting, Anna recommends that orphaned children be taken care of by those who have blood ties because it can bring them closer to their "roots". (NCA/DIT/SKA)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).