SIFTING through piles of rubbish and breathing in thick harmful smoke could become a thing of the past for some disadvantaged families in Indonesia thanks to former Mount Gambier resident Helen Roberts.
From a young age, many Indonesian children are taken out of school and thrust into a life working in the dump, sorting through piles of rubbish to produce two-cent bags of rich soil.
Hoping to give children and families a chance for a better future, Ms Roberts last year created the Pigs for Hope project.
With the help of the Mount Gambier community through a number of fundraisers, the generous and determined woman raised enough money to purchase sows, piglets and goats for 19 families across the country.
This will allow families to earn an income through farming and give them the opportunity to send their children to school.
Ms Roberts recently returned from her trip to the village of 1.5m people, where she personally delivered the animals to grateful families living in poverty.
“Conditions at the dump were worse than when I was there last year – seeing more young children working there was just devastating,” she said.
“But the thing is, they learn from a young age that working at the dump is what their future entails, which is really sad.
“There was this one little boy who was only about three years old that was learning from his father what to do.”
Purchasing the animals from farmers in the village, Ms Roberts said the money raised has helped to change the lives of many people who are struggling.
“The money stretched a long way and in the end we came out under budget so had more money to spend on other things for the families,” she said.
“We will also fund a caretaker who will go around to the families and teach them how to look after the animals.”
Preparing for the arrival of the animals since last year, Ms Roberts said the families were very excited to receive their pigs and goats.
“They were so excited and proud of the effort they had made to welcome the animals with shelters made and food grown for them,” she said.
Only four days after delivering the animals, Ms Roberts received a message that brought a smile to her face – two children were going to stay in school instead of going to work at the dump.
“One girl was only a week off going back to work in the dump, so we definitely went at the right time,” she said.
Thankful for the support received by the Mount Gambier community to fund the project, Mr Roberts said the money donated has gone a long way to supporting families in need.
“The families in Indonesia are so grateful for the animals they were gifted,” she said.
“We know it is making a difference and will now receive monthly updates on how the families are going.”
Ms Roberts plans to visit Indonesia again next year to see the progress that has been made.
