Forget Octomom, here’s a couple who play parent to dozens of kids.
Budi Soehardi, a 53-year-old Indonesian pilot living in Singapore, and his wife, Peggy, call 47 children their own. Upon learning of the plight of refugees fleeing East Timor after residents voted for independence, the couple jumped in, organizing food, clothing and fundraising drives. With help from friends, they were able to send 40 tons of food, medical supplies and toiletries to East Timor refugee camps.
But what started out as a kind of voluntourism soon blossomed into a labor of love. The couple started to take in orphaned children, and room by room, they built an orphanage — essentially adopting dozens of children to raise as their own. They founded the Roslin Orphanage in West Timor in April of 2002.
“Some of the babies come because a mother passes away right after delivery because of lack of nutrition. Others come from extreme poverty. Some come from families [that] just do not want the children and abandon them,” Soehardi told CNN.
The children, who range in age from infant to college-aged, all receive free vaccinations, food, clothing, vitamins and education. Having 47 mouths to feed would send anyone over the edge, but the Soehardis have found a way to do so on a tight budget by growing rice on their own land.
Soehardi’s father died when he was just nine, so he can identify with the children’s loss and loneliness. He and his wife have three children of their own, but make no distinction between them and their adopted kids. Up until November of last year, Soehardi was also a working dad. As a pilot for Singapore Airlines, he would often fly one of the world’s longest routes, from Newark, New Jersey, to Singapore, but still managed to find the time to care for his kids.
Even though he’s lost his job, Soehardi says his 11 years as a Singapore Airlines pilot has afforded him the chance to help these kids. Of course, the kids can use all the help they can get. If you’d like to lend a hand, here’s how.
Photo courtesy of RoslinOrphanage.com.