Geoff Kushnick traveled to Indonesia on the behalf of Boot Camp for New Dads to explore the institution of fatherhood in Indonesian culture. He had this to say:

“Becoming a new dad is a basic part of human life for men-a rite of passage to manhood . . . no matter where you go, you'll find new dads struggling to make it work. But, that's the beauty of it-dads everywhere face similar challenges and reap similar rewards for giving it their all.“

While in Indonesia, Geoff had the opportunity to interview two brand new Indonesian fathers; Brahmana, a 24-year old from North Sumatra, and Romanto, a 37-year old from Jakarta on the island of Java. Their interviews are below:

What is your baby’s name?
Brahmana:We have a baby boy named Senang.

Is he your first child?
B: Yes, this is true. He is our first child. We are very blessed to have a son given to us.

What is the biggest challenge of being a dad?
B: My wife does a lot of work in our fields and I have a lot of free time, so I’m often the one taking care of him. I like it very much when I am not working. Many of my friends also like it. There is no problem for me to bring Snang with me to play chess. With him, I have trouble playing and I laugh because I can’t win the game when I have him. That’s no problem though.

How do you arrange Senang’s meals when his mother is working?
B: Sometimes it’s difficult. He’s often hungry. His mother comes home from our fields to feed him, but other times I must take him to his mother so he can eat.

What do you remember about when he was born?
B: It was very much trouble to bring my wife to the village midwife when Senang was born. I was only prepared a little bit.

What advice would you give other men about the process of becoming a new dad?
B: When your baby is given to you, always think how you can do best for him. Your wife is not the only person with responsibility for taking care of your baby.

Would you like to have more children?
B: Yes. There is no question. I only have to wait to see what I am given.

What is the biggest challenge of being a new dad?
R: I worked for a long time at a hotel. My wife works there too. Now we work different times so we can switch with Gerty. My wife understands this better than I do, so I have to call her often when she is working because I don’t know what to do.

Do you know how to change a diaper?
R: Yes. [Laughing] My wife taught me.

What do you remember about when she was born?
R: It was very difficult to earn money alone. For a long time, my wife could not work in the hotel because she was too tired. I had to work two times every day to cover both shifts.

What advice would you give other men about the process of becoming a new dad?
R: You must work very hard to make a good life for your baby and your family.

Would you like more children?
R: Yes, but I want to save money first.