THEY may be big and sometimes smelly, but pigs have helped to change the lives of many disadvantaged families across Indonesia with the help of former Mount Gambier resident Helen Roberts.
In just two years, the dedicated and caring individual has helped children to leave behind their days working on polluted dumps to gain an education, reduced the stress felt by parents trying to provide for their families and most importantly brought smiles and hope to communities that were struggling to get by.
The Pigs for Hope project – which would not be possible without support from the local community – has grown beyond expectations as families make a living from caring for sows and goats and selling their offspring.
The days of sorting through rubbish to produce two cent bags of rich soil are long gone with one young adult now studying teaching at university.
“Last time I was there she was just about to be sent back to work on the dump by her father when I gave the family a sow,” Ms Roberts said.
“Now she has finished her first year of studying teaching and secured a paid placement in a children’s centre in her community where other kids that have been taken off the dump attend.
“It is wonderful because now she can share her story of success with the children and give them hope there is a brighter future for them.”
When the original 19 families in the village first received the pigs – and some goats – they were given specific rules to follow to help them benefit financially.
Once the offspring of their animals were weaned they had to sell the offspring and halve the money received, keeping one half and giving the rest back to Pigs for Hope.
That half is divided again with part going to the children’s care centre – which is now at capacity with 270 students – part to another family to start the program and part to purchase extra animals and other supplies.
“On my recent return to Indonesia I saw the families had established incomes away from the dump, their health and wellbeing was improved and they really loved and cherished the animals,” Ms Roberts said.
“The mums, dads and children are all full of joy, pride and hope.”
However, this is just the beginning with a second children’s centre set for development in a nearby village and a Pigs for Hope sty set up in another area with a breeding sow by the name of Princess Julia.
“She is almost ready to have her first babies and once she does, the girl piglets will be given to families in poverty in that community and the boy piglets grown to around five or six months and slaughtered with the funds from them helping the other projects,” Ms Roberts said.
“In that area the meat is in very poor supply so it will be a great benefit and it is almost in the same area where they are building the new school, so it will all be linked.”
Thankful for the support received from the people of the South East and neighbouring regions, Ms Roberts said their money had made a world of difference.
“I hope they can see a wonderful outcome for their investment, the children are getting educated and cared for and their is a bright future for many throughout Indonesia,” she said.
“The project has grown massively over the past two years and I hope to go back later this year to tweak it a little more.”
