Glamor mall hosts exhibit on community development<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
If you had the chance to take a stroll in South Jakarta's
\nPlaza Senayan last weekend, you might have felt that there is
\nsomething \"unusual\" -- if not ironic -- there.<\/p>\n
Only 10 steps away from a luxurious imported timepiece shop on
\nthe first floor of the mall a boutique displayed a poster on
\nactivities of an organization offering free training and
\neducation programs for school drop-outs in Tebet, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The organization's proposed annual budget was only half of the
\nprice of a watch displayed in the window of the nearby boutique.<\/p>\n
From April 28 to April 30, the lavish mall seemed to have
\nallocated most space on the first floor halls to display posters
\nof community development projects instead of the usual \"up to 70
\npercent\" discount posters.<\/p>\n
Some 75 grassroot institutions were presenting themselves
\nthrough posters describing community-based projects for the poor
\nin sectors ranging from entrepreneurship to gender empowerment.<\/p>\n
They were finalists of the Indonesia Development Marketplace
\ncompetition, initiated by the office of the Coordinating Minister
\nfor People's Welfare, to seek innovative ideas that address
\nchallenges in providing accessible and high quality services to
\nthe poor throughout Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The posters took the attention of very few visitors. However,
\na crowd gathered around them when President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, who visited the exhibition before the award ceremony,
\ntoured the exhibition.<\/p>\n
Yet, instead of paying attention to what the posters were
\nsaying, they flashed their camera-equipped cell phones at the
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Despite the irony, parties related to the event seemed to be
\nquite optimistic of the idea of exposing the fact that poverty
\nexists to the audience at the upper-class mall.<\/p>\n
\"The display here today demonstrates the untapped creativity
\nof people, from all regions and all types of organizations, who
\nare concerned with poverty,\" Coordinating Minister for People's
\nWelfare Alwi Shihab said at the award ceremony on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He added that a similar competition had been held in 25
\ncountries worldwide and claimed that Indonesia held the largest
\none.<\/p>\n
The committee recorded 2,911 proposals, which were then
\nshortlisted to 75 finalists. The finalists presented their
\nproposals of grassroot projects on agriculture, health, water and
\nsanitation, as well as education.<\/p>\n
The jury chose 29 finalists proposing projects best fitted to
\nthe criteria of innovative, sustainable and pro poor. Each
\nreceived grants, amounting from Rp 45 million (US$4,838) to Rp
\n230 million, to fund their project for a year. Ten more finalists
\nwere awarded special grants.<\/p>\n
Among the finalists were the People's Alternative School from
\nBengkulu, the Free Women Federation from North Sumatra and Agro
\nNiaga Agricultural Cooperation from East Java.<\/p>\n
\"Each of the 75 finalists will receive US$1,000 in prize
\nmoney,\" Alwi said, adding that this year's event would be
\ncontinued in the future.<\/p>\n
World Bank representative Andrew Steer added that whether or
\nnot each finalist wins an award is less important than the fact
\nthat they have shared their knowledge and passion for innovative
\nthinking.<\/p>\n
Emmy Hafild from Transparency International Indonesia, a
\nmember of the jury, said that the prize was too small for the
\nexercise and the effort done by the participants.<\/p>\n
\"In the future they should increase the prize money,\" she
\nadded, mentioning it was necessary to make all the participants'
\nefforts worthwhile.<\/p>\n
The total $550,000 grant was provided by the World Bank,
\nUSAID, the Norwegian, Australian, British, Finland, Netherlands
\nand German governments as well as UNDP, Unicef and several other
\ninternational institutions.<\/p>\n
Head of the panel of jury La Ode Ida agreed that \"bigger
\ngrants should be made available in the future as it would assure
\nthat more funds were delivered to the targeted community.\"(003)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/glamor-mall-hosts-exhibit-on-community-development-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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