The History of Pondok Kasih
Since its establishment in 1991, Yayasan Pondok Kasih (YPK) has provided hope and assistance to the poor and marginalized Indonesian people widely. It all started when Mama Hana, the founder and chairperson of YPK, reached out to help a beggar woman who used to beg in front of her church.
Feeling reprimanded by God, that the salvation of the poor around her is also her responsibility, she prayed that God would love like her and she is able to love others in need. A humble beginning was followed by the provision of a Home for the Elderly / Home for the Old, for neglected Wanula, and a Children’s Home for rejected babies who were almost aborted.
When a multidimensional national crisis began in 1996, YPK quickly responded by providing needed relief items, formal and informal education assistance for children, health assistance, and community empowerment.
In 1999, international organizations began to recognize YPK’s continued devotion to the poor without being unconditional and without distinction, so that shortly after that 40 foot containers of various relief items began arriving through the Indonesia Relief Fund (IRF) and the World Blessing.
This time coincided with many crises, conflicts and natural disasters that hit Indonesia, so that these relief items could be distributed throughout the archipelago regardless of ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status.
In 2003 YPK began to get recognition and appreciation from the Regional and Central Government, business people, the media and Indonesian academics. Mama Hana and YPK respectively received the Satya Lancana Award in the field of Community Service from the President of the Republic of Indonesia (2004), the Satya Lancana specifically for the Aceh Tsunami Disaster Service (2005) and the Dharma Karya Kencana Award through the BKKBN (2006).
Realizing that the poor need not only clothing, food, shelter, but to break the chain of poverty, they really need an identity, KTP and KSK. So that they have civil rights as citizens of the Republic of Indonesia, and can enjoy facilities provided by the government such as education, health services, safety, security, employment, housing etc.
2001 To improve the morale of the nation, YPK also initiated an Integrated Mass Interfaith Marriage to help couples obtain a Marriage Certificate and Birth Certificate for their children. Starting in Surabaya, 6 times for hundreds of pairs (2001-2010), then held nationally in Jakarta (2011), in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the DKI Provincial Government (2011) for 4541 couples. YPK received the MURI Award Charter (national) and the British Royal Award (from UK – international) as the largest interfaith mass marriage organization in the world.
The second national mass marriage in Jakarta (2015) is integrated with the Ministry of Social Affairs HKSN Commemoration national program, together with the DKI Provincial Government, the military and religious organizations. Since then until now YPK, together with the Central and Regional Governments YPK have initiated mass marriages in 18 provinces with the issuance of…. Marriage Certificate and…. Birth Certificate.
YPK received another award from the Global Business and Interfaith Peace Award (2015), Kick Andy Life Achievement Award (2016), CNN Heroes Award (2017), Kartini Award and Heroes of Mental Revolution Award from the Coordinating Ministry for Human Rights (2019)
To achieve its vision and mission, YPK collaborates with all components (spheres) that influence society such as Family, Religion, Government, Economy – Business, Academics – Education, Media and Culture, to jointly serve underprivileged people so that social justice can be created for all. society in accordance with the ideals of the nation.
By serving the poor together, two gaps, namely Social and Ideological, religious and racial gaps, which can create many conflicts and crises can be solved.
