Adopting Ridho

Ridho is 10 years old and is my second cousin. He loves playing video games and football. He’s an avid drawer and dreams of growing up to be an illustrator. His favorite food is fried chicken but isn’t keen on vegetables (this will change!).

In his short life, Ridho has already faced more adversity than anyone should have to face in a lifetime. Unwanted at birth by his Mother and Father, Ridho grew up in poverty cared by his Grandmother (my Aunty) in Bandung, Indonesia.

Covid-19 is currently devastating Indonesia and unfortunately, his Grandmother contracted the virus. While we have supported financially from afar, Indonesia’s medical infrastructure isn’t equipped to deal with the current surge they’re facing. With no family in the vicinity, Ridho was thrust into trying to keep the most important person in his life alive.

Devastatingly, we were unable to get an ambulance to their home before she passed away. Via video call, we tried our best to instruct Ridho on how to administer oxygen and then CPR when she stopped breathing. The ambulance didn’t come for approx. 8 hours after she died, all the while Ridho was alone with her with only our digital support from half the world away. This broke our hearts as we tried to grapple with what he was going through.

Putting aside the grief of a lost family member, our thoughts quickly turned to securing care and support for Ridho. With no immediate family in Bandung, the nearest family connection is in Jakarta where we have found temporary care. However, this is only a short-term solution as they don’t have the room or financial ability to support him.

This is where we (and you) come in. We want Ridho. We want to adopt Ridho. We want to provide him with the love, care and support that he needs to heal and flourish. We’ve discussed this with Ridho and it’s what he wants too. We would appreciate your help to make this happen.

We are financially stable, own our own house and have the capacity to raise Ridho the way he deserves.

However, the upfront costs of adoption, especially in a Covid environment, have put this beyond our means to do alone. Your help would be life-changing.

About Us:

I’m Alia, and have been married to my husband Will for 12 years. We have two boys, William (11) and Ethan (8). We live by the beach in Christchurch with our dog Skipper. My husband is in full-time employment in the Furniture Importing Industry and I run my own business from home.

I am originally from Indonesia and was adopted by my step-father when I was 12. I know what a life-changing opportunity this will be for Ridho as I am living it. Thank you for your support.