City to set up task forces to help the poor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration plans to establish
\nworking groups in every subdistrict to help assist the Social
\nOffice in helping about 600,000 poor people.<\/p>\n
Head of the city Social Office, Emon Setia Sumantri, said
\nyesterday that the working groups, whose members will be
\nvolunteers, are expected to intensify the city administration's
\nefforts to help the poor achieve a better life.<\/p>\n
The 600,000 people who are said to have \"social problems\"
\ninclude street children, beggars, prostitutes, former convicts
\nand drug addicts.<\/p>\n
According to the Social Office, as of last year Jakarta had
\n683,813 people in need of social help, of which only 29,102 had
\nreceived attention from the office. A further 51,111 of the total
\nreceived attention from private organizations, the office says.<\/p>\n
Emon said about 9,300 volunteers, 857 social organizations and
\n74,170 members of youth organizations are expected to help the
\noffice with the project.<\/p>\n
\"At the moment there are only 93 institutions, 39 of which are
\nstate-owned social institutions, attending to the needy people.
\nThe other 54 institutions are managed by private organizations,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Emon said the office faced several constraints in dealing with
\nthe people. \"Urbanization is the first thing to blame for the
\nincreasing number of vagrants, while getting accurate data and
\nthe number of such people is not that easy,\" he said. He added
\nthat low-quality training and employers' reluctance to hire
\nrehabilitated people did not help the rehabilitation efforts.<\/p>\n
\"Another thing that curtails the programs is the fact that
\nmost of the people to be rehabilitate have a very limited
\neducational background,\" he said.<\/p>\n
One of the working groups' jobs will be collecting accurate
\ndata on the number of the people to be assisted. \"This is very
\nimportant,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Emon did not mention money as one of the constraints, nor did
\nhe say how much money has been earmarked for the program.<\/p>\n
Many people have been skeptical about the rehabilitation
\nprogram as many of the rehabilitated people are reported to
\nreturn to their old ways soon after they completing the programs.<\/p>\n
Emon acknowledged this, saying that the establishment of the
\nworking groups is expected to minimize such shortcomings. \"It's
\nimpossible for the city administration to do such a job alone,
\nwithout private volunteers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that, in the long run, the working groups will be
\nmeaningful in narrowing social gaps and increasing the poor's
\nstandard of living. (yns)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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