Hi, my name is Eileen, and I am Australian living in Bali. Today I had the privilege of visiting the 'Bali Baby Home' centre. I left completely blown away by the compassion, determination, and sheer heart of Burhan Sugiarto, the director, and his incredible team. What they do is nothing short of life-saving. They rescue newborns and infants who are at risk of being abandoned — babies found in forests, left on toll roads, outside apartment blocks, or surrendered by mothers who are completely alone and terrified. Yet inside this home, every single child is met with safety, love, and dignity.

Right now, the Bali centre cares for 39 babies, and across all three of Burhan’s centres (Bali, Semarang, Yogyakarta), there are around 100 children in total. But the reality is far from easy: the Bali centre currently operates from two rooms - one room with a barricade down the middle separating infants from toddlers - and another for 9 new born babies.

By law, once these children turn 5 they must be moved to another orphanage for older children unless Bali Baby Home can build a centre for older kids. That means being uprooted again, separated, and pushed deeper into the system.

Despite the overwhelming love and dedication, space is running out — and the need is only growing.

Burhan’s current mission is to build a new centre in Java for older children, so all the children that turn 5 have somewhere familiar to go. So these kids can stay safe, stay together, have an education and never be displaced again.

What moved me just as deeply is that Bali Baby Home isn’t only about rescuing babies — it’s also about supporting mothers in crisis. Many of the women who come to Burhan are alone, afraid, financially desperate, or experiencing intense pressure from their families or communities. Instead of judging them, the team offers emotional support, counselling, supplies, and a safe place to turn to. Their ultimate goal is always reunification whenever it is safe and possible. They work tirelessly to help mothers stabilise their lives so they can welcome their babies back with confidence and dignity. This approach not only saves infants — it preserves families, breaks cycles of abandonment, and gives women real choices during the hardest moments of their lives.

I am launching this fundraiser to raise money to help him achieve his dream to secure land to build an orphanage for older children. I have personally donated $10,000 and hope to raise as much as we can to not only cover the cost of securing and starting to build - but to help cover essential costs like milk, diapers, medical care, staff support, and daily necessities. These funds will help create a future where no baby is turned away due to lack of space, every dumped child has somewhere to go and where every child rescued has the chance not just to survive — but to truly live.

Your support could literally be the difference between abandonment and a second chance at life.

Thank you for helping give these precious babies hope, safety, and a future.

Eileen