Vika’s Inner Voice: A Person with Mental Illness Awaits Recovery and the Way Home

1 April 2026, 16:05

suarahativikaodgjmenantikesembuhanjudul dompet dhuafa

I won’t complain even if you’re lacking in some ways; all I ask is for your loyalty…

I won’t stray even if temptations beckon; my love and affection for you remain unwavering…

All I ask of you is to be faithful forever, so that this love may last forever, my dear…

That is my prayer…

BEKASI, WEST JAVA —-– In a corner of the hallway at the Galuh Foundation in Bekasi, a soft voice could be heard. Vika Indrawati (47) was humming. Her favorite song, “Suara Hatiku” by the late Nike Ardilla, flowed from her lips as she smiled softly. For Vika, the song was like a reflection of feelings she found difficult to express clearly.

On Wednesday afternoon (March 18, 2026), the atmosphere at this rehabilitation center for people with mental health disorders (ODGJ) seemed calm. Vika, a woman from Cakung, East Jakarta, looked cheerful as usual. She mingled with the other residents, engaging in daily activities such as tidying the dining table, arranging the rugs, chatting, and praying and participating in health therapy sessions with the nurses.

Vika is a warm person. She still clearly remembers and states her date of birth, October 1, 1979, which coincides with Pancasila Day. She knows her origins well—a mix of Kebumen and Solo, Central Java—even though she was born and raised in the hustle and bustle of Jakarta.

However, there is one part of her memory that seems to have frozen in time. Vika feels as though she has only been at the Galuh Foundation for two years. In reality, according to Jajat Sudrajat, Head Nurse at the Galuh Foundation, Vika has been undergoing rehabilitation there for about four years.

Man and woman stand at the front of a bright hall; the woman in a yellow hijab speaks into a microphone while the man smiles beside her.

Woman in a white hijab and modest clothing stands alone in a pale hallway, seen through teal decorative bars.

Woman in a yellow hijab weaves on a wooden loom at a table, focused on the task beside another person.

Three speakers on a covered stage: a man with a microphone and two women gesturing, beside a banner about mental disability support (PDM) in Bekasi.

His mental disorder stemmed from a tangled web of family and romantic problems, which were later exacerbated by a promiscuous lifestyle in the past. “I want to go home, but I don’t want to go back to my house. It just makes me emotional because I’m constantly being scolded. But one of the conditions for going home depends on the family. If the family wants us back, they can come pick us up. And it seems like I’ve been cast out, hehe,” Vika said with a laugh that hid her bitterness.

Jajat Sudrajat has served for 25 years at the Galuh Foundation. For him, caring for the 360 patients currently at the Galuh Foundation demands extra patience. “Work like this must be done with heart, patience, and sincerity. The risks we face are significant, because we’re dealing with human beings too. We must treat them equally—they are human beings,” Jajat said.

Under Jajat’s supervision, the patients are not only provided with food and decent housing but are also taught skills such as weaving fabric at least twice a week into useful products. The goal is clear: so that when they eventually return to society, they will be empowered and not shackled by stigma.

Two men sit on prayer mats facing each other as one reads from a Quran placed on a small stand, microphone in hand, with others seated nearby in a blue-walled room.

Group of people praying in a blue-walled prayer hall, bowing in sujood during a communal Islamic prayer.

Group of men seated on a patterned rug in a blue-walled hall, facing a speaker at the front; a man’s white shirt reads 'YOU CAN!'

Dompet Dhuafa, through its Community Service Agency (LPM), has been collaborating with the Galuh Foundation since 2008. Its assistance programs include spiritual guidance, logistical support, and health services.

Robby Sunandar, Coordinator of the Mental Disability Support Program (PDM) at LPM, explained that currently, LPM collaborates with approximately 14 rehabilitation centers. People with mental disabilities (ODGJ) are also included in the asnaf (categories of zakat recipients) under the “the poor” category.

“This spiritual guidance is important to provide so that it constantly reminds them (people with mental disabilities) to pray, to remember that they have a God, that they have Allah SWT. So that they can pray for their own recovery. Since they are currently unable to work, the role of zakat becomes crucial here as well. Not only that, Dompet Dhuafa also provides motivation, such as capacity building, for the caregivers or rehabilitation staff,” added Robby.

Man standing barefoot on a paved lot, saluting with his right hand to his temple, wearing a black T-shirt and red pants, with a building and trees in the background.

Men in a rural village courtyard near a blue building; one man walks with a yellow bag, others sit or stand with belongings nearby.

Two men unrolling a red patterned carpet on a blue concrete floor of an open-air pavilion.

Bare feet and lower legs crossed at the ankles on a white tiled floor.

According to Law No. 17 of 2023 issued by the Ministry of Health, individuals with mental health disorders (ODGJ) are those who experience cognitive and behavioral difficulties that cause suffering. Anyone can experience this. Unfortunately, myths and negative stigma remain a major obstacle to their recovery.

For Vika, whose condition is now considered 60 percent recovered, her greatest hope is just one thing: to return home and have the door to her house open once again. While waiting for that day to arrive, she will continue to sing, weaving hope amidst the prayers she offers in the hallway of the Galuh Foundation alongside the nurses and companions from Dompet Dhuafa. (Dompet Dhuafa)

Text and Photos: Dhika

Editor: Dedi Fadlil