Dear Friends,

I just received news from Ririn in Indonesia. I have looking for a wheelchair for Nasrul, a 12 year old boy, with trail-bike tires so he can get around, when I got this story from Ririn. It made me cry. It's hard to convey the joy, life and hope that radiates from her story! I can see it in my mind's eye...

I'm off to Indonesia August 25th and will send you more news soon.

Thanks for all your help to make this happen!

Nadine(Hoover)

A New Developmental Play Center in the Refugee Camp in North Sumatra

Since fleeing the war in Aceh to Barak Induk refugee camp in North Sumatra in 1999, children who used to live close to schools and playgrounds entered a new world completely unknown to them. Parents also entered a completely new world and had to figure out how to survive in a virgin forest on their own. Thinking about places to play was not foremost in their minds. Children often played without supervision where ever they happened to go (the Javanese refer to this as kluyuran). For this reason, Barak Induk encouraged the establishment of a developmental play center for children by Nadine Hoover from Friends Peace Teams, and several women from Barak Induk who volunteer their time.

Accompanied by four women who serve as volunteer teachers, children are able to play with learning activities two to four times a week in a home built by Friends Peace Teams and men from the camp in 2009. After two months of engaging in these activities, parents began to rave about the development and progress of their children. Every day when mothers brought their children to the center, many of them would say,"my child reads the evening prayers with us at meal time" or "my child always greets people when they come and go from the house." Their faces are full of happiness that persists day after day.

Nasrul's parents were particularly happy. Nasrul has severe physical disabilities that he is overcoming as he plays with children much younger than himself. At 12 years old, Nasrul could not walk, hold onto an object or speak clearly. Other children were frightened of him. Before joining the developmental play activities, Nasrul had not played with others. He was humiliated and did not socialize. His mother was always with him. When he needed something, he would cry out, because he was not able to take care of his own personal needs. Yet his spirit overcame all of these weaknesses. After joining in the play activities, Nasrul changed. He became confident and spirited. In fact, he often exceeded his friends. Although in the first month of joining these activities his friends were frightened and did not want to play with him, Nasrul's spirit did not give in. His teachers helped him. It only took about three weeks to help Nasrul improve his social skills. After that, he could play with other children with ease.

Nasrul especially likes playing with the blocks. He tries hard to move to the block shelves on his own, assisted by his arms. With his two fingers (the only ones that function well) and his chin, Nasrul can take, carry and pile blocks to form a building. His face beams with happiness and his smile is full of satisfaction when he sees the blocks piled to form the building that he wants. Nasrul indeed does not surrender. He always maximizes what he can do. When it's time to clean up after playing, with full enthusiasm he races with his friends to see who can return the most blocks that have been taken from the shelves. The spirits of children like Nasrul inspire the spirit of their teachers to continue to accompany Nasrul and his friends at the play center. Nasrul can also paint. He paints with all his imagination the things on his mind and tries to describe his painting to his friends and teachers, but his vocalization is not very clear. Still, they all always try to pay attention to him and to understand his stories.

Nasrul's parents, Denan (60 years) and his wife (54 years), are deeply touched by Nasrul's progress, their only child. "Now Nasrul remembers the days of the week and when it is time to learn with the other children in his school,"his mother says. When the time comes, with great spirit, Nasrul virtually demands his mother help him get ready for school. Again revealing the great progress he has made, his mother notes, "Nasrul often sings and prays at home now. He also remembers the names of his friends, so if he wants to play with someone, he calls out their name." Besides the great progress of Nasrul and his friends, the other parents are astounded by the positive difference they see in their children when they get involved in these developmental activities. "We spend much more time with our children now, because the activities we have in the school, can also be done at home. We can play with our children too!" said one of the mothers who has felt the great benefit of the developmental play center for her child.

Rini Florince Warouw (Ririn) lives in Medan, North Sumatra. She is studying clinical psychology as an undergraduate with a tuition and book scholarship from Friends Peace Teams. She works at a utilities payment counter, where she receives $25 per month to help pay her transportation costs. She says it does not hinder her studies since she only has to work from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm from the 5th to the 24th of each month. She goes regularly to visit the refugees and encourages the women there.