Dharma Care provides housing, recreation and rehabilitation facilities, as well as health and other programs to meet the needs of vulnerable and marginalised people, or anyone in desperate need of care.
Since 2016 Dharna Care has raised over $550,000 to support programs locally and internationally, enriching the lives of destitute and disadvantaged children, families and the elderly.
An Unusual Year
This year, Jewish Passover, Christian Easter and Islamic Ramadan have coincided. This only happens every thirty years.
Charitable giving is associated with most religions at such times. If you are considering making such a gift, Dharma Care has three heart-warming projects worthy of your support.
These projects have been developed in collaboration with well-established in-country charities. Each project has been rigorously assessed to ensure they can deliver on their aims.
Our projects seeking your charitable support
- Congo Maternity Hospital – health services for mothers and children
- YUM Stunting Prevention Program – Raising healthy children
- YUM Rural Health Program – Good health for rural communities
Making a Tax-deductible Donation
Each of the project pages has a donate button for online credit card payments,
You can also lend your support via bank transfer to any of these projects, tax-deductible donations can be made to:
Dharma Care BSB 062–580 Account 10374063
Please mark your donations with the name of the project (eg Congo, or YUM Stunting, or, YUM Health) plus your Surname (so for example: Congo Smith), and email us at info@dharmacare.org.au so we can send you a receipt.
Sending love and blessings to you all.
Irwan Freeman Wyllie CEO
www.DharmaCare.org.au
Congo Maternity Hospital – health services for mothers and children
Context: Conflict, poverty, acute malnutrition, high infant mortality, limited access to clean drinking water, and frequent disease outbreaks mean humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are among the highest in the world.
There is only 1 doctor for 20,000 patients in rural DRC (1 to 500 is normal in industrialised countries), and 40% of the population have inadequate access to healthcare due to a lack of health infrastructure at the community level. Since 2010, SDIA and SD Congo have constructed or refurbished the Community Health Centers at Madimba, Lemba Imbu and Nkandu, and built two regional hospital centers – one at Kingantoko and the other being the Mother-Child Hospital Center of Kwilu Ngongo.
Project Aim: To complete Phase III of the Mother-Child Hospital Center of Kwilu Ngongo by constructing a surgery that will make the current clinic a reference hospital in the health zone of Kwilu Ngongo, Congo Central Province, and significantly increase the services to the local population of 152,000.
Funding Target: AUD20,361.
YUM Stunting Prevention Program – Raising healthy children
Context: There are over 8 million stunted children in Indonesia – 31% of all children. WHO defines stunting as the failure to reach one’s potential growth and development due to insufficient nutrient intake, poor hygiene and frequent infections and is associated with terrible disadvantages.
Last year, Dharma Care collaborated with the major Indonesian charity, Yayasan Usaha Mulia (YUM), supporting community-run Posyandu (Integrated Health Services Centers) in villages to spread knowledge of the risk of stunting among families, especially those with pregnant women. After 10 months of providing training for volunteer health workers, food packages for expecting mothers, plus continued awareness campaigns in the community, initial results show a considerable decrease in the number of babies born stunted. Last year, Dharma Care donors contributed AUD12,300 towards this project.
Project Aim: This project continues the work carried out in 2021 in Cipanas, West Java. The project this year aims to train 40 volunteer health workers and train a further 15 to become community leaders to be in the frontline training other health workers. This project plans to work with 10 Posyandu and 100 pregnant mothers. It will also provide proper nutrition through the distribution of food packages and help to detect anaemia during pregnancy by providing free haemoglobin level checks and distributing iron supplements.
Funding Target: AUD 11,867
YUM Rural Health Program – Good health for rural communities
Context: West Java has had the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia. Studies there have found that the pandemic has significantly affected the daily lives of older residents. Older people reported experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, fear, and isolation. And in addition to the psychological burden, many older people who have chronic diseases have stopped taking their medication because they are afraid to go to healthcare facilities to continue treatment. Dharma Care donors have fully funded this project for the last 6 years.
Project Aims: 1. To ensure the good health of the elderly through free regular health check-ups once a month to ensure good nutritional status, and by undertaking blood pressure checks, blood sugar and other tests as required. 2. To increase knowledge around health issues and healthy lifestyles through education workshops held every three months. 3. To prevent loneliness and social exclusion for vulnerable elderly who live alone and rarely have family to take care of them. This is achieved through sharing sessions, singing, arts and crafts, cooking together and activities with pre-schoolers.
Funding Target: AUD 5,598