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Wisma Cheshire in Jakarta

Yayasan Wisma Cheshire is part of the worldwide NGO, Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD). LCD campaigns for change and provides innovative services to give disabled people the opportunity to live life their way. Yayasan Wisma Cheshire was established in November 1974, and opened by the late Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, VC. It is built on land donated by Rumah Sakit Fatmawati – funds from London, along with local donations, were used for the buildings. The home is situated south of the hospital and is managed by a committee of Indonesian and expatriate volunteers. Raymond R Sirait, the manager, and Ibu Poni, the matron/housekeeper, look after the everyday running of Wisma Cheshire with the help of the staff.

The home cares for some 26 resident paraplegics of both sexes, all confined to a wheelchair, whose families cannot afford to keep them or who do not have the facilities to look after them. Ninety percent of them have disabilities caused by road or industrial accidents: the rest have suffered from polio or birth defects. It is the aim of Wisma Cheshire to enable all residents to learn a skill within or outside the home – with the ultimate hope that they will thereby find employment and gain financial independence.

Prospective residents are admitted to Wisma Cheshire by an admissions procedure, which includes medical and social reports and recommendations from hospitals. While residents are expected to contribute towards their stay in the home, the Wisma Cheshire philosophy is that no one should be precluded from entering the home by virtue of his or her race, religious or financial status.

In 2008, Yayasan Wisma Cheshire started a new initiative to establish a community with ex-residents of Wisma Cheshire and other disabled people living near or around the home. These gatherings take place once a month to enable them to talk about health, motivation and work experience, with some special guest speakers each month. They also enjoy entertaining one another with song and music. Some of Wisma Cheshire’s residents play tennis, table tennis and chess at national and international competitions.

The Red Feather Shop

Most of our residents are encouraged to learn skills that can help to support The Red Feather shop, which is situated at the home. The red feather is a symbol of prosperity, security and happiness, and was first used to raise funds for the Leonard Cheshire organisation more than fifty years ago.

Handicraft and woodwork items, of a high quality, are sold in the shop. The residents are managed and supervised in their work by a group of volunteer expatriates. As well as selling these items in the shop, we also attend various bazaars, coffee mornings and expatriate women’s society monthly meetings in Jakarta. The handicraft items are well-known and include tablemats, napkins and coasters, embroidered towels, silk jewellery rolls, casserole carriers, baby items, oven gloves and potholders, embroidered towels, bottle bags, padded hangers, gift and shoe bags and much, much more. The woodwork section produces beautiful dolls’ houses and furniture, cradles, cots, garages, forts and castles, children’s easels, desks, tables and chairs. We make a selection of Christmas goods, cards and gift tags each year and also hold a Sale and Exhibition each October at the Kristal Hotel.

Wisma Cheshire is not self-supporting: we rely on sales from the shop and elsewhere but mainly on generous donations from local expatriate societies and foreign companies based in Indonesia. We are extremely grateful to all these for their support. The residents are paid for their work, but also contribute a small percentage of their earnings towards the upkeep of the home. At the present time (June 2010), the home is costing over Rp 28 million a month to run – this sum includes all salaries, electricity, telephone and food. We have a manager, a resident housekeeper/matron, cook, houseboy, driver and cleaner.

Several renovations of the home, funded entirely by local sponsorship, have taken place and have greatly enhanced the lifestyle of the residents, and will hopefully encourage them further in their work.

If you would like to give a donation to this worthy cause, the easiest way is directly to the Wisma Cheshire Bank Account (Number: 001-145390-001) at the HSBC World Trade Centre Branch, Jl Jend. Sudirman, Jakarta.

Alternatively, if you require more information about how you can support the work of Wisma Cheshire or would like to volunteer to help with our various activities, please contact a committee member at the address below:

The Red Feather Shop
Yayasan Wisma Cheshire
Jl. Wijaya Kusuma No. 15A
Cilandak, Jakarta Selatan
Tel. (62-21) 769-2059
Email janegllew@gmail.com, tiwidal@hotmail.com and wisma_cheshire@yahoo.com

Last updated July 16, 2011

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