You've Got A Baby

"Corruption, Root of Destitution" Indonesia fell into an economic crisis in 1997. Started by globalization, it enabled rich countries to invest their capital in poorer countries. The process of globalization created foreign debt, free trade, and foreign investment in many under developed countries. Indonesia was one of the countries which got foreign debt in dollars. Unfortunately back then Indonesia had a very corrupt government. To make thing worse not all the projects that executed were successful. Some of the mega projects were not well planned so that at the end became big loss and only waste of money. When economic crisis hit Asian, the dollar rate increased five times higher against Indonesian currency. Consequently, Indonesian foreign debt which was in dollars had become multiplied. Indonesia was overwhelmed by the interest of it’s dollar debt. This had made our nation’s economy collapse. The economy crisis created social chaos, poverty, and caused our family to acquire a new member.

When the economy crisis started it became very chaotic in our society. There were mass cash withdrawal in almost all Banks. Foreign investors fled to other countries. Millions of people lost their jobs. Most of the food which contained imported components such as baby formulas had became five times more expensive. As a result baby formula had become consumable diamonds. Super markets only opened for four hours a day because the starving and poor people would seize the store buying the limited products in stocks or loot everything they found in store. Angry and starving people would burn supermarkets, and any stores available along the streets.

Poverty and starvation happened everywhere. All of a sudden Indonesian money had no value because of the sky rocketing cost of all food, fuel and other energy sources that we needed in our daily life. Poor people would steal food from somebody else’s kitchen. Education became very expensive, and many kids had to bury their dream to continue study to higher level. Most of them had to quit in the 6th or 9th grade. Fortunately I had a good job during this period, and my company was one of those who had got benefit from the dollar rate increase.

The crisis also had brought my family happiness and joys. During my vacation I used to stay at my own little house. My parents lived eight miles away from my new house. They were starting to feel lonely because all my brother and sisters had also moved out. Every morning I would have a visit from lady who sold traditional tonic drinks. One day this lady asked me if I could give her a loan. She needed the money for the family who had a very sick baby who cried twenty four hours a day, so they could see a doctor. I did not want to give too much. I assumed that it was not big deal if she did not pay me back because did not know her very well. I just tried to be nice because she was the only friend I had. I always believed in her story, and kept giving her money when she asked. One morning she said the baby’s health was getting worse, and asked me if I wanted to see the baby. I told her that my vacation time was almost over, and I would have to leave the Island. However the next morning, this lady came together with a young girl, and an old lady carrying a crying baby in her hands. This baby had a very huge and hard stomach, compared to his head the stomach was five times bigger than normal. He was in a very painful condition. They told me they could not afford to feed and cure the baby, as they very poor. However my heart melted, and I called my parents if they could help me out in that situation. My parents came, and decided to take the baby to a hospital. Saving this baby’s life became our first priority. Me and my parent stayed at the hospital to monitor this baby’s heath progress for almost a whole week to save the baby’s life. He had very serious internal damages due to mistreatment from his parents. We let the mother and the baby stay in my parent’s house until he recovered. Consequently I had to extent my vacation and started struggling to get baby formula from the supermarket. Every supermarket had very strict security, and they had armed guards in every corners. People were only allowed to purchase two cans of baby formula. For the first time shopping in a mall or supermarket were real disasters.



Time went by, and we did not realize that it had been months now the baby was in our house. My parent and I fell in love with the baby boy. The family of this baby boy finally agreed to give him up for adoption. Now Olive, the baby boy is eleven years old. He has grown up a very smart child. My parents no longer feel lonely after all their children moved out, because Olive has filled their empty house with laugh, and joys.

Eventually for my family, the economic crisis not only created fear caused by social chaos, made us poorer, but also brought happiness and joy by getting new member, a baby boy. If only Indonesia had a clean government and could manage the foreign debt in a productive way, it would not be trapped in huge foreign debt.The Economy crisis had made Indonesian people live in fear because the crime rate increased, poverty had destroyed all aspect of life. However, I was glad to make the right decision to keep the baby ten years ago. Olive has brought happiness and filled my parent’s lonely life after being left by their own children.