Article
After losing her father, Marta’s life is forever changed. But her future awaits.
In July 2021, Marta, 10, was watching over her brother Febri, 2, unaware that their father was fighting for his life as the children played just outside his bedroom. Several days later on her birthday, Marta saw her father take his last breath as he lost his battle against COVID-19. Marta and Febri continue to liv...
Article
The Love of Family: Surviving Double Loss in the Wake of COVID-19
Being the only female in a household of four, and at such a young age as Hayfa, who was only 11 when she lost her mother to COVID-19, is not something many children experience. On top of that, she has to endure not seeing her father for two to three weeks at a time, as he works at a construction site far from thei...
Article
Healing fear and trauma with love
It’s late afternoon in the village, and night is falling, but there is a bustle in the house — as often happens after a death. The house belongs to Sari, 32, and her husband Bondan. At the back, they are building a new kitchen as well as a bedroom for Sari’s 12-year-old brother, Aga, whose mother and stepfather re...
Article
Sibling love in times of loss
Like many girls her age, 7-year-old Afiqa is shy and a little withdrawn, especially around strangers. Since COVID-19 claimed her mother’s life a few months ago, the light has gone out of her eyes. It took some time — and a set of play dough — to draw her out of her shell, revealing her curious side and deftness at...
Article
When grandparents become parents
It’s a sunny afternoon in the quiet rural neighbourhood, and 11-year-old Putera is sitting on the floor of his house, bent over a notebook. An otherwise quiet boy with fine features and sad, impenetrable eyes, he seems completely absorbed in his work. Sitting across the table is his schoolteacher, Siska. Since s...