Yayasan Cheshire International
About Yayasan Cheshire Indonesia
Yayasan Cheshire Indonesia (YCI) or better known as Wisma Cheshire is a social foundation, non-governmental and non-profit organization founded by Leonard Cheshire in 1974 to help people with physical disabilities to learn some skills in order to be able to live independently and not be discouraged in order to achieve the better future. We provide temporary accommodation for trainees (residents) with a maximum capacity of 30 people, free medicine and food at our centre located at Jalan Wijaya Kusuma No. 15 A Cilandak, Jakarta. Twice a week, physiotherapists and nurses come to the centre to help residents who need health care on a small scale. However, YCI only focuses on helping people with disabilities who are physically disabled or those who experience physical obstacles who are able to carry out daily activities using wheelchairs, canes or prostheses without depending on care givers who serve them all the time. This is the foundation's initial commitment to provide vocational skills and no longer accommodate patients who still need medical care or who still have injuries.
Our vision is "Creating Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities". Skills training programs such as handicraft sewing, woodwork, English and computer knowledge are mandatory for every person with disabilities (residents) studying at the foundation. Apart from that, we also have a campaign program for people with disabilities called Young Voices Indonesia (YVI). YVI has members consisting of teenagers with disabilities ranging from 14-24 years from Jakarta and Aceh. They do not live in the foundation but live with their families. We support them to organize meetings, social campaigns and increase public awareness through seminars, skills training, art performances and scholarships for members who meet the requirements.
The existence of YCI and its training programs has had a positive impact on disability empowerment. Many residents who learn skills at the foundation then start to make handicrafts that can be exhibited at charity 
bazaar events. Some residents started living independently and worked in companies or as civil servants, for example at the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Attorney General's Office. There are also those who start opening small businesses from the skills they have learned at the Foundation. Several residents have also achieved achievements in sports and competed in national and international events such as the Paralympics events, Amputee Football World Cup, Wheelchair Basketball, Chess, Tennis, Table Tennis and some have become administrators of the national Paralympics committee. In 2022, two residents of Wisma Cheshire made proud achievements in sports at international level. Sahata Sianturi joined the Indonesian National Amputee Football team competing in the Disability Football World Cup in Turkey and Ridwan Purba became a national player for the Wheelchair Basketball team competing in the ASEAN Para Games championship in Cambodia. They are still residents of the Cheshire Foundation today.
Between 2012 and March 2014, with initial help from overseas funding, Wisma Cheshire established Young Voices Indonesia (YVI) in Jakarta and Aceh, which has been working together with young disabled Indonesians campaigning about the rights of people with disability in Indonesia and also to raise the social awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). YVI actively conducts workshops, seminars, public campaigns, art performances, and actively supports its members to participate in both national and international conferences. Today, Wisma Cheshire is continuing this program but with the help of local donors. The Committee Members of Wisma Cheshire have also been doing the fund raising for supporting both residents and YVI members who have potential to continue their education or to improve their talents through the scholarship or other education support programs.
The Red Feather Shop
The beautiful handicraft and woodwork items made by our residents are displayed at our shop called Red Feather shop located at the centre and open daily. The handicraft items are well-known and include table runners, napkins, coasters, embroidered towels, silk jewellery rolls, casserole carriers, oven gloves, potholders, bottle bags, gift bags and more. The woodwork section produces beautiful dolls’ houses and it’s furniture and wooden puzzles as the newest item. People now can also find them online at some market places and social medias. Residents also attend various bazaars, coffee mornings and other charity events. Now we also add some training programs namely barber, tailoring, hydroponic and the Eco Enzyme soap production to enhance our residents’ skills.
Wisma Cheshire however is not self-supporting. Revenue is obtained from the sales of all the handicrafts produced but our main source of income is from the donations.
For more information about Yayasan Cheshire Indonesia or if you would like to support our programs or to volunteer at our foundation, please contact Fendo Parama Sardi, the Program Manager via address below:
Yayasan Cheshire Interntional & The Red Feather Shop
Jl. Wijaya Kusuma No. 15 A
Cilandak, Jakarta Selatan
Phone +62 21 769-2059
Email contactwisma@gmail.com, fendo.cheshire@gmail.com
Website www.wismacheshire.com
Last updated November 28, 2023