Girl in Medan

[FreoGirl]

Hi everyone,

Thought I would give you all an update on the 'girl in Medan' situation. For those that don't know what I'm talking about, I posted previously about a girl in Medan working as a pembantu who hadn't been paid for two years and was stuck and desperately wanted to get away and get home to Lombok.

What I wanted to do was try to establish the girl's situation, and try to get her home if possible. We have had a couple of meetings with the girl's parents, and made contact with the girl herself.

Unfortunately there is something going on and I'm not able to get to the bottom of it. I have the feeling I'm not being told the whole truth.

Firstly, there are inconsistencies in the story told to us by the girl's parents as to when she went to Medan and how long she has been working for her current boss.

Secondly, when we spoke to the girl a couple of weeks ago, she told us she was working for the boss in a ruma makan. At the same time we had made contact with a kind man in Medan who was willing to assist. He went to the street where the girl told us she was, and there was no ruma makan there. A medanese man here in Lombok rang the phone number she gave us for the ruma makan and the person who answered hung up on him, twice.

We now suspect that perhaps the girl is working as a prostitute. That is the village gossip too. If that is the case, it is much harder to get her away - that is if she actually truely wants to get away.

I am very discouraged. You know how it is here when you 'know' that your being lied to? Or at least not given the full story. You get a nose for it. Well that is how it is.

So for now, I don't think there is much I can do. I have told the parents that if they want assistance from me and other westerners that they must be honest with me. We will not help if we are lied to. I also told them there is no way they are being given money. Any assistance would be done directly to the girl in the form of a paid for ticket etc. The step-mother immediately lost interest in the whole thing at that news. Sigh

So thanks everyone for your interest and support. But for now I am going to have to leave things as they are unless I get some better information.

Karen

[Sergio]

Thank you for the update FreoGirl!

[rhondo]

Dos'nt it get old when so many people lie where the truth will do . It becomes difficult to take people at face value when lying is so prevalant and accepted. Since "reality" is a good place to start lying is the equivalant of sitting in a ditch and spinning your wheels, "ya get no-where fast". When people lie to you it also makes you wonder if there is sincerity in anything they say or do. It makes you see how truly "poor" some people are.

[Thorsten]

Hi Karen,

sorry to hear this news, but also many thanks for all your effort.
Anyway, I have promised you 150 € for support and since the money is free now, I suggest to use it for something else.

With your agreement, I would like to channel it to the Helen Flavel Foundation.
The HFF is providing children of poorer Balinese families an education, speak school fee, clothes, items for school, she also has built a learning centre now .
It's incredible what Helen built up over there with her private engagement, I support her because of two reasons.
At first, I think we all have a commitment for the children of this world, education is the best way to decrease the misery and much more efficient than any other aid program.
At second, I don’t have money to waste, I know every single Ruphia is for the benefit of these children, I know where my money goes there (would like to know how much of a very nice amount, donated in January to UNICEF for the Tsunami victims was really used for them).

So the donation for HFF could be in form of cash, or in form of a laptop for her school project, but this I will discuss with Helen personally.
BTW, to all Bali travellers, how many of you will have almost new laptops somewhere unused, because every two years you get a new one?
Why don’t you consider to take them with you for vacation and then “forget” it there, at home these things are only catching the dust and YOUR children will only laugh about “this old crap”?
Give these kids access to information, enable them to learn, much better then candies in my point of view.

Best regards
Thorsten

http://www.helenflavelfoundation.org/

[pPamela]

Hi Thorsten,

That is a fabulous suggestion about donating old laptops.
I have a small weekend English school in Cipanas/Cianjur in West Java and two yrs ago donated my laptop to them.
Whilst the internet is out of the question for that area, my teacher has been able to use the laptop as a remarkable tool to continue teaching the students English through the use of fairly inexpensive cds.
The new way of learning has been so motivational for the students after spending two years learning via white board.
If anyone is considering doing this and would like a copy of all the cds we have purchased over the past two yrs, in Indonesia/Sydney just let me and I will get Andang, my teacher and organiser of the school to copy them and post them to wherever or I can deliver them next June when I return to Indonesia.
Pamela.

[FreoGirl]

Thornsten I am always happy to hear people supporting the Helen Flavel Foundation, or any other organisation doing good works in poor countries.
Also great idea about the laptop - wish I had one to donate, but all my 'old' ones prior to the current one belonged to my employer, and they do something else with them. BUT I will put it to them that they might give me one from the next batch to be retired.
Pam will keep your english cd's in mind too
Cheers

Karen

[Helen]

Hello Thorsten, you idea of sending us second hand laptops is exactly what we need. With the new Learning centre being built and hopefully the ground floor completed by the end of next month, the computers are on the top of our wish list. We would be so very grateful if anyone can help us.

The children are the future and we aim to give them every chance possible. If anyone reading this would like to visit Singaraja and see what we are doing, you would be most welcome.

[Iris]

Hi,

I can imagine any girl here wants to move from Medan to Lombok, including me!!! I am one week in Medan and am I dreaming of nice and quiet places!
So Thorsten if you don't know what to do with your 150 USD you are most welcome to pay my plane ticket!
Well, after we have done our round of meeting the family and our friends we can start looking for a nicer place to life.

[Thorsten]

Thanks FreoGirl, I've known you will agree :wink:

Hi Helen,

so I will bring a laptop, when I will be in Bali (January 2006) for your learning centre.
Regarding OS, configuration software… I’ve heard there is somebody with computer skills, not far from the learning centre and the person I’m thinking about even joins this forum from time to time, so maybe for a few beers … :wink: 8)

Hi Iris,
what's this?

...if you don't know what to do with your 150 USD you are most welcome to pay my plane ticket

I've always thought the Dutch would only travel with campers :shock:

[Helen]

Hi Thorsten, I will email you later on today. The $150 will be put to very good use in helping to furnish the Learning Centre for the students. Your sponsor children will be so excited to know that their "Godfather" will be coming to visit them :) . Thanks you for your kindness, it's people like you that makes the work we do possible.