NARUWOLO, Indonesia – A quiet village in eastern Indonesia is grappling with grief after a 10-year-ancient boy went missing on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The disappearance of Bastian, as he is known to family and friends, has brought renewed attention to the challenges faced by families in the remote Ngada Regency.
Bastian, the youngest of five children, had been living with his grandmother in a garden shed whereas his mother, Maria Goreti Te’a, 47, resided in the main family home about a kilometer away. His father has been away for more than a decade and communication has ceased in recent years, according to his mother.
Te’a last saw Bastian on the evening of February 11th, when he embraced her tightly. “He didn’t say anything to me. After that, the two of us went to sleep,” she said when interviewed on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
The boy was known as a cheerful and hardworking child, often helping his grandmother sell vegetables – lettuce and cassava – after school. The case highlights the economic pressures faced by families in the region, where many rely on agriculture for their livelihood.
On Monday, February 26, 2026, Bastian had asked his mother to travel to Bajawa, the capital of Ngada Regency, to access funds from the Indonesian Smart Card program (PIP). He spent the night at his mother’s home that evening.
The disappearance comes amid scrutiny of school fees in the Ngada Regency, with officials recently addressing concerns over costs reaching up to 1.2 million Indonesian Rupiah, as reported by local news outlets.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Bastian’s disappearance, and the case has sparked a broader conversation about poverty and family communication within the community, as detailed in a recent report by Kompas Nasional.
The village of Naruwolo, located approximately 40 kilometers from Bajawa, is characterized by its cool climate and abundant crops, including cloves, coconuts, candlenuts, and durian.
