Paras reaches out to change fate of poor<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Once home to an abundant water source, several villages on the
\nslopes of Mt. Merbabu and Mt. Merapi in Central Java are now
\nsuffering a water shortage that gets worse during the dry season.<\/p>\n
The drought has affected the annual harvest of the local
\ncommunity, and the local people say it was caused by the
\ngovernment's policy to grow pine trees on the mountains.<\/p>\n
A conservation area ranging from 1,100 square meters to 1,650
\nsqm was changed into a pine forest in 1971, and state forest
\ncompany PT Perhutani was behind the controversial policy.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, pine trees were planted to replace a variety
\nof trees indigenous to the montane region, including the banyan,
\nsapodilla, acacia and quinine trees, along with coffee plants,
\ncocoa trees and others that formed the forest reserve and secured
\nthe farmers' water source.<\/p>\n
The pine forest has turned the local farmland into barren
\nsoil, as pine trees consume much more water than the native
\ntrees. The local community has voiced their plight to the
\ngovernment, but to no avail.<\/p>\n
Realizing this, the Paras Foundation plans to help the local
\nvillagers by providing advocacy and facilities to fight for their
\nlivelihood and welfare.<\/p>\n
Paras project leader and former legislator Mochtar Buchori
\nsaid the recently established foundation had been gathering data
\nand information regarding the problems of poor people around Mt.
\nMerbabu and other areas.<\/p>\n
Apart from the water shortage faced by the people of Mt.
\nMerbabu, the foundation has also become aware of the straits
\nfaced by fishermen along the northern coast of Java in Batang,
\nthe people of Gunung Kidul regency, Yogyakarta, and street
\nchildren in Semarang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
While the water shortage faced by farmers of Mt. Merbabu is
\nmanmade, the people of Gunung Kidul have been facing a year-long
\ndrought due to the natural geographic conditions of the area.<\/p>\n
Paras has compiled these various issues of the poor into a
\n103-page book titled Those who are neglected: Reflections and
\nportraits of poverty in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The book details the problems, their causes and the activities
\nundertaken by the affected people in deal with them.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to help the poor and to provide other institutions
\nwith valid reference information,\" said Laksamana Sukardi, co-
\nfounder of the foundation, in a recent interview.<\/p>\n
The Paras foundation was established on Jan. 26; its research
\non the communities of Mt. Merbabu, Batang, Gunung Kidul and
\nSemarang were undertaken and completed before its official
\nlaunch.<\/p>\n
Paras means \"face\", and the foundation envisions bringing
\nsmiles back onto the faces of the Indonesian people, particularly
\nthose who have been marginalized by the mainstream. The
\nfoundation was established to serve as partner, facilitator and
\nmediator to empower the neglected poor.<\/p>\n
Laksamana said the foundation's activities would include
\nproviding advocacy, technical assistance and education to the
\npoor, as well as providing an accurate database for other
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
Both Mochtar and Laksamana are aware of their limited
\nresources to accomplish their ideals, and are thus open to the
\npossibilities of cooperating with other social welfare
\norganizations.<\/p>\n
Paras field coordinator Bambang Iswantoro said that in the
\nlong run, the foundation would teach volunteers to accompany the
\npoor in rural areas.<\/p>\n
He added that the foundation would start recruiting volunteers
\nthis year, with the possibility of new recruits coming from
\nuniversity -- the students or lecturers.<\/p>\n
In addition, the foundation has a more ambitious vision of
\npromoting the transformation of the Indonesian people into a
\n\"new\" society with political freedom, economic prosperity,
\ntransparency and security.<\/p>\n
With its three focus activities, including the empowerment of
\nsociety through training volunteers, assessing and publishing
\ninformation and cooperating with other organizations to encourage
\npolicies that help the marginalized poor.<\/p>\n
The Paras foundation
\nJl. Cikatomas II No.4, Kebayoran Baru,
\nJakarta, 12180
\nPhone: (62-21) 7244077 Facsimile: (62-21) 7233961
\nemail: parasindonesia@indo.net.id<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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