?On 27 January 2015, a delegation from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia consist of the Embassy’s staff, head and member of the organization of Indonesian diplomats’ spouses (Dharma Wanita Persatuan/DWP) visited the center of assistance for pregnant teenagers “Obra Social de la Madre y el Nino/OSMAN). Osman is located in the poor neighborhood of Barrio Union in San Martin, Caracas. On a daily basis, OSMAN accept pregnant teenagers and offer them food, housing, psychological therapy, education and training to teenage mothers between 15 and 25 years old on raising children. The purpose of the visit is to hand over a donation such as milk and diapers.

The delegation was received by the director of OSMAN, Sister Yolanda, who welcomed this kind initiative. She explained that OSMAN offers teenage mothers not merely a home but also gives them the chance of educating themselves on how to raise their children because being a mother is a beautiful responsibility.

Although OSMAN is not funded by the government of Venezuela, the facilities are in excellent conditions. OSMAN funded themselves through “the hands of God” since they received fund from good hearted people. The delegation also met with some of the beneficiaries of OSMAN, who shared their experiences on being a teenage mother and expressed their utmost gratitude for the donation given.

OSMAN was created in 1937 by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent of Paul, religious women who have dedicated their lives to the protection of pregnant teenagers for more than 78 years. According to OSMAN’s statistics, it is reveal that from 600.000 pregnancies in Venezuela, 120.000 of them are women under the age of 18 years old.

The visit is a symbol of Indonesia’s strong commitment to strengthen bilateral relations by assisting teenage mothers. A lesson to be learned is although the number of teenage pregnancy in Venezuela is relatively high, the Venezuelan community initiated to find a solution by establishing a center to aid the teenage mothers.

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