'Kompas' scholarships for paper boys, girls<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 1,000 newspaper boys and girls from
\nvarious parts of Indonesia got a surprise bonus on Saturday from
\none of the newspapers they have been delivering -- scholarships.<\/p>\n
The management of Kompas, by far Indonesia's best-selling
\nnewspaper with a daily circulation of more than 500,000,
\npresented the scholarships on Saturday in a ceremony attended by
\nMinister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and Kompas
\nChief Editor Jakob Oetama.<\/p>\n
The recipients were 200 elementary school students, 400 junior
\nhigh school students, 400 senior high school students and five
\nstudents of special schools for disabled children.<\/p>\n
\"Elementary school students will get Rp 150,000 (US$66) a
\nyear, junior high school students Rp 200,000 and senior high
\nschool students Rp 250,000,\" Kompas' circulation manager, A.
\nKardjono, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
This is the first time that Kompas has awarded scholarships to
\ndelivery boys and girls. \"If the results of these scholarships
\nare positive, we are going to improve the program,\" Kardjono
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The purpose of the scholarships is to help the paper boys and
\ngirls to a better future, he said. \"We don't expect that they
\nwill be delivering newspapers all their life.\"<\/p>\n
The scholarships are to continue until the recipients have
\ncompleted senior high school.<\/p>\n
\"The scholarships may not be large, but we hope they will help
\nthem finish school. It is a first step, and we hope this
\ninitiative will be followed by other companies,\" Wardiman said.<\/p>\n
Most of newsboys and girls interviewed told the Post that they
\ndid not know the amount of the scholarship.<\/p>\n
\"I will use the money to finance my education and if it is
\npossible I will help my mother with her stall,\" said Imam
\nBuchori, a 19-year-old disabled student of the Economic Senior
\nHigh School in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have a father anymore and my mother only runs a small
\nvending stall at my house, so I have to finance my own education
\nif I want to continue my studies,\" said Winarni, a student at
\nanother economic senior high school.<\/p>\n
Most of the paper boys and girls say they earn about Rp 50,000
\na month. Some have managed to save some of what they have earned.<\/p>\n
\"I've got Rp 150,000 in the bank for my education expenses,\"
\nsaid Susanto.<\/p>\n
He said some of his customers treat him well, giving him
\nadditional money on Idul Fitri, but that others bullied him
\nwhenever he was late with their newspaper.<\/p>\n
Most of the paper boys and girls said they wanted to be
\n\"somebody\" one day.<\/p>\n
\"I want to be a sailor,\" 12-year-old Suhendy said. (31)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kompas-scholarships-for-paper-boys-girls-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }