BACKGROUND OF YAYASAN WISMA CHESHIRE

BACKGROUND OF YAYASAN WISMA CHESHIRE

Yayasan Wisma Cheshire (YWC) is a member of the Leonard Cheshire Disablity Global Alliance (LCD) formerly known as Leonard Cheshire International, an NGO which supports and promotes the rights of disabled people. YWC is registered as an Indonesian Yayasan or foundation. The Jakarta home was opened in November 1974 by the late Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, VC. Built on land donated by Rumah Sakit (Hospital) 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.

The home cares for some 27 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. The residents are usually referred to Wisma Cheshire by RS Fatmawati, once the hospital has done all it can for them after their accidents.

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 find employment and gain financial independence. 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 Foundation well over 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 – they include tablemats, napkins and coasters, embroidered towels, silk jewellery rolls, casserole carriers, baby items, oven gloves and potholders, kitchen 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: they have also made stencilled trays, wastepaper baskets and large toy boxes. We also try to produce about four different Christmas cards every year and a variety of gift tags.

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 (March 2009), the home is costing over Rp 23 million a month to run – this sum includes all salaries, electricity, telephone and food. We have a resident housekeeper/matron, cook, houseboy and driver.