The Rumah Impian Indonesia (Dreamhouse) Foundation was officially established in February 2009. However, the history of interacting with street children communities began long before that. The interaction started in 2000 with simple activities, such as playing sports together (mostly football) in the area of Gadjah Mada University campus every Saturday afternoon. At that time, several students invited street children who usually gathered at the Korem/Gramedia intersection and Pingit intersection to participate in sports activities.
From this initial interaction, a learning center was established in the Gondolayu area from 2003 to 2005. In this center, volunteers provided free lessons and basic education (reading, writing, and arithmetic) to street children and the surrounding community.
After a one-year hiatus, in November 2006, a shelter called “Dreamhouse” was opened in the Jetisharjo area. This shelter became the beginning of the use of the name “Dreamhouse”. Quite a few street children were gathered at this shelter, coming from Jetis, Mirota Kampus, Tugu, and Pingit intersections. The shelter was later moved to Jetis Pasiraman before finally closing at the end of 2008.
However, the closure of the shelter did not mean the end of Dreamhouse’s activities. In fact, after that period, Dreamhouse’s activities became more focused on street-based approaches.
In 2008, Dreamhouse initiated a scholarship and dormitory program for children who wanted to return to school and leave the streets. The scholarship program offered formal and non-formal education (catch-up programs). Children in need of accommodation were housed in a dormitory called the Hope Shelter, located in Kalasan. Since 2008, many children have enjoyed these facilities and have graduated from high school. Some have continued their studies at universities, while others have pursued employment based on their individual dreams.
This program later transformed into the Children Crisis Center, officially inaugurated on November 20, 2021, by the Regent of Sleman, Dra. Hj. Kustini Sri Purnomo. The Children Crisis Center (CCC) is a program to help children in need of special protection. At CCC, children receive assistance with trauma healing, a safe house, psychosocial therapy, regular health check-ups, access to education, recreational and motivational activities, as well as advocacy programs.
Since 2015, Dreamhouse has also developed a prevention program through the Education Center. These are learning centers established in areas where many children are at risk of losing their rights. Additionally, in the same year, Dreamhouse also developed a Parent Empowerment program to assist parents in raising their children with proper parenting approaches.
In 2016, Dreamhouse also launched the Happy Dream Academy, a daycare and early childhood education facility. The facility will continue to be developed until it becomes an educational institution that applies the distinctive Dreamhouse approach.
In August 2019, the Rumah Impian Indonesia Branch in Kupang, NTT was established. The target of Dreamhouse Kupang is children who work in public areas and community-based support for families with at-risk children.
Dreamhouse’s long-term plan is to develop integrated support facilities, strengthen institutional capacity and services, improve fundraising capabilities, and mobilize support from stakeholders for the welfare of at-risk children.