To many of us, the thought of a house, a home, rings as a familiar thought. We grew up in a house, and over time, the house became a home: a place of love, of belonging, of safety. However, I soon became aware of the poignant reality that not everyone knows of a house, let alone a home. In many war-stricken areas, houses were left in shambles, forcing families to bid farewells to their homes. Growing up in the busy bustles of a metropolitan, Jakarta, I rarely encountered these dimmed-down stories. However, when I visited refugee sites around Indonesia, I soon realized that many kids my age, or those far younger than me, do not have the privilege of calling a place their home.

During my visits to the Cisarua Refugee Learning Center, I was able to personally connect with them and hear their notably powerful stories. The refugee community in Indonesia has long enough been marginalized and tucked away from the care of both public and private sectors. They constantly walk a tightrope of uncertainty and are deprived of opportunities due to their refugee status. It is unfair that these bright individuals are hindered from the opportunity to shine and obtain their full potential solely because they are refugees. Therefore, in 2021, I founded RHome, a charity that works with refugees, as I sought to tap into the power of transforming this seemingly distant and foreign land of Indonesia to become “Our home.”

At RHome we seek to creatively empower youth refugees through hosting painting competitions. Through these community-building painting events, I hope to bring joy to the refugee community during challenging times – especially considering that many enjoy and have a talent for painting. The winners’ creations are then curated into a range of lifestyle merchandise – scarves, tote bags, notebooks, fans, tumblers, etc. The entirety of profits from the sales of our RHome products are allocated to support the refugee community, helping us bridge the provisional gaps of their physiological and educational needs.

Since the inception of RHome, we have hosted many events where communities from all walks of life have united upon a shared mission: to celebrate the refugee community in Indonesia. For example, in the World Refugee Event we hosted in Hadiprana last year, RHome was honoured to highlight the breathtakingly beautiful designs of the refugee children in a dynamically vibrant fashion show attended by spouses of ambassadors and distinguished members of the community. The event was also kindly supported by Ann Mayman (Head of Representative of UNHCR in Indonesia). Through these events, we proactively debunk the myth rendering refugees as “burden”, and instead shed light on how they are some of the most resilient souls equipped with invaluable stories and incredible talents.

RHome has been honored to have received the Diana Award in 2023 and recognized as the SME Champion for the United Nations Women WEP Award in 2022. Additionally, RHome has been kindly featured in various media platforms such as Femina and Tatler Magazine, in which I had the opportunity to showcase RHome’s work and emphasize the importance of advancing social awareness through philanthropic initiatives. Through these awards and media coverage, RHome hopes to challenge the negative stereotypes that society often imposes on refugees and champion the truth through global platforms that our refugee friends are valuable members of our community.

As I continue to work alongside refugee communities in Indonesia, RHome strives to challenge the circulated idea that refugees are “burdens” and instead promote the truth that refugees are resilient souls equipped with invaluable stories and incredible talents. RHome remains committed to evolving into a community cornerstone that provides support for our refugee friends displaced in Indonesia.

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Tiffany Mihardja is founder of RHome and a student on the IRDR Global Humanitarian Studies BSc.

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The views expressed in this blog are those of the author(s).

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