‘God’s gifts’: Why this Indonesian man rescues abandoned babies from jungles, rental flats and highways

Burhan believes that the high rate of baby dumping in Indonesia is partially due to the strict laws governing abortion in the country and the lack of comprehensive sexuality education. 

In Indonesia, also the world’s most populous Muslim country, abortion is illegal except in cases of medical emergencies and rape. 

A report by the National Population and Family Planning Agency estimated that there are 2.4 million cases of abortions annually in the country and as many as 700,000 – or about 30 per cent – of these cases involve teenagers. 

In addition to providing a safe haven for abandoned babies, Burhan also helps women facing mental health challenges and those experiencing unwanted pregnancies, regardless of their marital status. Together with his dedicated team, he ensures that these women receive care and support until they give birth. 

He said that many of these women face rejection from their families, who are often unwilling to accept the babies. 

“We want to return the child to the mother but families often express embarrassment, saying things like ‘while we accept the mother, we do not accept the child’,” said Burhan, who was first featured in a series on everyday heroes on CNA’s Bahasa Indonesia site. 

Other stories in the series include a man who has worked to tackle waste disposal issues at a city in West Java province as well as an animal lover who has been feeding and looking out for stray felines.