One million to get free rice<\/p>\n
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Ibu Mien's face brightened when volunteers started to take
\ncoupons from people standing in line at the Semanan district
\nadministration office near Kalideres in West Jakarta on Sunday.<\/p>\n
After an hour of queuing, she was more cheerful and anxious to
\nknow if she would soon receive rice from the volunteers that
\ncollected her coupons.<\/p>\n
\"The rice will serve as a nice treat for my family during the
\nupcoming months,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Mien, who sells coconuts at the Semanan traditional market,
\nsaid she sometimes had difficulty sustaining a decent life for
\nher family of three children on her own.<\/p>\n
\"It (the donation) means a lot to me because I can now use
\nsome of my income ... for something else,\" she said, smiling.<\/p>\n
Mien shook hands with the volunteers as soon as she received
\nthe rice in expression of her gratitude. Other recipients also
\ndid the same thing as the woman.<\/p>\n
Those residents in the Semanan neighborhood were among many
\nothers who would and have received rice from the Indonesian Tzu
\nChi Buddhist Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of
\nSocial Affairs and the Indonesian Military (TNI).<\/p>\n
Sunday's rice distribution was part of a series of events the
\nfoundation will sponsor nationwide to help provide free rice to
\nthe poor.<\/p>\n
The foundation began distributing the rice to the poor in an
\nevent held in Panjaringan, Pluit, North Jakarta on May 31.<\/p>\n
Present at the ceremony were Minister of Social Affairs
\nBachtiar Chamsyah, State Minister for National Development
\nPlanning Kwik Kian Gie, Jakarta Military commander Maj. Gen.
\nDjoko Santoso and City Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul
\nPadmanegara, who officiated the start of the distribution.<\/p>\n
\"It is a humanitarian effort to help the poor with basic
\nnecessities they often cannot afford,\" Daud Dharsono, a spokesman
\nfor the foundation, said in Semanan on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He said his office would give around 10,000 tons of free rice
\nto about one million poor people in 200 locations across Greater
\nJakarta alone, adding that distribution in the capital would
\ncontinue until June 22.<\/p>\n
Daud said his foundation planned to distribute 50,000 tons of
\nrice to the poor across the crisis-hit country, targeting about
\nfive million people.<\/p>\n
So far, the free rice -- donated by the foundation's branches
\nworldwide -- has also been distributed in the neighborhoods of
\nPenjaringan and Kemangan in North Jakarta, and the neighborhoods
\nof Kapuk and Jembatan Besi in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"After the first stage of rice donation is finished in Greater
\nJakarta, we will begin moving outside the city to distribute the
\nremaining 40,000 tons to the needy,\" Daud said.<\/p>\n
Thousands of volunteers, including dozens of soldiers and
\nofficers from local district administrations and neighborhood
\nunits, assisted with the distribution in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A team has been set up in each neighborhood unit with the task
\nof distributing two coupons to each poor family.<\/p>\n
Families will be able to exchange their coupons for a total of
\n40 kilograms of rice.<\/p>\n
\"The responses are overwhelmingly positive. Some people have
\nexpressed their gratitude and said the rice could last several
\nweeks,\" said Daud.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/one-million-to-get-free-rice-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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