Bumi Disabilitas by Yuni

When Yuni stepped into the quiet corners of rural communities in West Java, she kept encountering the same heartbreaking reality: children with disabilities spending their days indoors, hidden away not out of neglect, but out of fear, stigma, and a lack of support. As a health worker, she saw families who loved their children deeply yet had no access to special needs schools, and often, no one who understood their struggles.

From those encounters, a simple but powerful belief formed inside her.

Healing in a safe space built from empathy, not infrastructure

In 2017, Yuni began a small nature therapy program, Bumi Disabilitas, for special needs children from low-income families who lived far from special needs schools. “Most of them have never had formal education in a special needs school simply because they live far away, and their parents can not afford to take them”, she reminisced.

Yuni knew then that the therapy was working not only for the children, but for the families too. “When parents open their minds, it becomes easier to work with the children. We can help them discover their potential and motivate them to break out of their shell. That’s why our (Bumi Disabilitas) logo features a broken shell,” she said. For Yumi and her team at Bumi Disabilitas, nature becomes a gift for both: the child learning to move, touch, and express, and the parents learning to accept, understand, and hope again. For many parents, it was the first time they saw their child as capable, not fragile.

This is why Bumi Disabilitas places families at the center of every activity. Healing, Yuni believes, is something you do together.

Each year, Yuni and her team organize one or two large events to celebrate Children’s Day and International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Bumi Disabilitas invites volunteers from different fields of health professionals — all ready to learn, help, and share.

At these events, volunteers have the opportunity to learn about the special needs community and inclusivity. Later in the events, these volunteers will join special needs children and their families in outdoor sensory and motor simulation activities such as playing with sand, grass, water, trying tree hugging to release emotions, eco-printing, and more.

Meanwhile, parents receive parenting education, having consultations with the volunteers who are psychologists, nutritionists, dentists, and other health professionals to provide medical check-ups for the children.

Despite its impact, Bumi Disabilitas still struggles with funding and volunteer shortages. Caring for special needs children requires patience, attention, and emotional strength — something not everyone is trained or ready to give. But Yuni keeps going. She has seen enough transformations to know that the work is worth it. Some of the children she supported years ago are now young adults pursuing dreams of their own, for which she is immensely proud. 

Her eyes brightened when she spoke of them. 

“Ranti has created her own fashion line catering to disabled people, and Isal is now a part-time content creator, sharing his daily life as a university student in Bandung. I’m so excited for them!”

Find out more about Bumi Disabilitas here