Donors distrust govt officials to deliver aid<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The recent floods in the city have strengthened the indications
\nof public distrust in government officials, as almost all people
\nand non-governmental organizations avoided official channels in
\nmaking donations for fear of corruption or unfair distribution.<\/p>\n
Many charitable foundations and individuals stated on Sunday
\nthat they preferred to give their donations directly to the flood
\nvictims, or at least through non-governmental organizations
\n(NGO), whose credibility had already been proven.<\/p>\n
Such a condition arose following many reports from the public
\nand donors that not all of their donations had reached the flood
\nvictims when they were delivered through flood posts established
\nby the government.<\/p>\n
Ade Rostina of the Suara Ibu Peduli (Voice of Concerned
\nMothers), a non-governmental organization dealing with problems
\ncaused by poverty, cited the example of flood victims in Cawang,
\nEast Jakarta, where local people protested that many packages of
\ndonations had been piled up in the subdistrict office even though
\nthey had been presented by donors almost a week ago.<\/p>\n
In Marunda district in North Jakarta last Friday, people also
\nprotested over the unfair distribution of aid as many had
\nreceived donations several times while others had yet to receive
\nanything from the local administration, which required that all
\ndonations should be distributed through its office.<\/p>\n
Similar protests also occurred in Pangadegan subdistrict in
\nSouth Jakarta, Semanan subdistrict in West Jakarta, and in many
\nareas of North Jakarta, such as Rawa Buaya and Penjaringan
\ndistricts.<\/p>\n
\"As the donors want to see that their aid is really reaching
\nthe flood victims, they have to avoid the official channels
\nestablished by community heads and other official agencies in the
\nsubdistricts,\" Ade told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A similar experience was voiced by an official of People Who
\nCare, a charity movement which groups executive members of a
\nconsultancy firm on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We prefer to cooperate with a number of NGOs like Walhi
\n(Indonesian Forum for Environment) and Human Rights Support for
\nIndonesia, as we have to make sure that our aid reaches the flood
\nvictims,\" said an official of the non-governmental organization,
\nwho requested anonymity.<\/p>\n
She said that in cooperation with the NGOs, her charity
\nmovement, which had just been established in November, could
\nreach the victims directly.<\/p>\n
In Karang Muara district, North Jakarta, a number of
\norganizations also refused to channel their assistance through
\nofficial posts on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The organizations, including Bandung's Parahyangan Catholic
\nUniversity, the Jakarta Institute of Art, and the Indonesian Red
\nCross, distributed their donated food, medicines, and clothes
\ndirectly to the flood victims in the district.<\/p>\n
Edi Harsono of the Elshinta We Care Program, a charity
\nmovement organized by the Elshinta private radio station, also
\nsaid that aid from the listeners was delivered directly to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
\"Based on our experience since 1998, we have always delivered
\nthe aid directly to needy people,\" Edi said, adding that over Rp
\n600 million had been collected from radio listeners since
\nJanuary.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/donors-distrust-govt-officials-to-deliver-aid-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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