School program reaches out to kids<\/p>\n
Jamuna Nair, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
There are some schoolchildren, who despite hectic study
\nschedules, still find time to help others.<\/p>\n
An inspiring example is Tolong Anak Anak (TAA) or Help the
\nChildren Foundation, a social service project of the Jakarta
\nInternational School (JIS).<\/p>\n
TAA has raised funds to support orphanages, schools for the
\nhandicapped, foster homes and hospitals across the country for
\nthe past 25 years.<\/p>\n
Five years ago, this nonprofit foundation, comprising more
\nthan 100 student members (ranging from elementary to high
\nschool), 10 student board members and three faculty advisers,
\ndecided to take on a bigger and more personal commitment by
\nlaunching the One More Chance Foundation (OMCF) to help street-
\nchildren and orphans.<\/p>\n
\"OMCF is under the umbrella of TAA. Today OMCF has 30 children
\nunder its care and they are accommodated in three houses,\" said
\nTAA coordinator Jose Carre.<\/p>\n
The One More Chance Houses located on Jl. Lebak Bulus Raya in
\nSouth Jakarta consist of a house for boys aged between eight and
\n14, another for boys aged between 14 and 18 and one for girls
\naged between eight and 14. The children have been entrusted under
\nthe caring wings of Irma Dwikusumawati as director and house
\nmother, Intang William Lubis as assistant director and other
\nstaffers, including \"street-educators\" (teachers experienced in
\nteaching street-children), Carre said.<\/p>\n
TAA, as patron, contributes toward the OMCF children's
\nhousing, food, clothing, health care, schooling, after-school
\ntuition, religious instruction and transportation. \"Without us
\nthey (the OMCF children) would be on the streets ... simple as
\nthat,\" Carre said.<\/p>\n
TAA treasurer Dr. Jack Penha said TAA needed Rp 18 million a
\nmonth to the run the OMC Houses and between Rp 20 million and Rp
\n30 million a year to support the other charities that relied on
\nJIS. The other charities include the Nur Abadi School for
\nHandicapped Children, Yos Sudarso Navy Orphanage, Sayap Ibu
\nOrphanage, Wisma Cheshire (home for the disabled) and the Mitra
\nNetra School for the Blind.<\/p>\n
The funds are raised, among other ways, through book sales,
\nbake sales, UN Day card sales or by holding plays and soliciting
\ndonations from companies. The JIS Parent Teacher Association
\n(PTA) is also one of TAA's staunchest supporters.<\/p>\n
Daunting as this task may seem under the current economic
\nclimate, TAA's spirit and resolve in raising funds for charity
\nhave not been weakened. Penha said TAA has decided to help 18
\nmore needy families in Cilandak and Cipete in South Jakarta by
\npaying toward their children's school fees.<\/p>\n
Those involved in TAA's social service are also benefiting.<\/p>\n
\"Because it (TAA) is so strong, you actually can make a
\ndifference with some of the people,\" said Pavitrhra, a grade 12
\nmember.<\/p>\n
\"I am giving back something to the country I have been
\nresiding in for so long. It makes me feel good.\"<\/p>\n
Michal Sarapatka, also a Grade 12 TAA member,lamented that
\nunderprivileged children in Indonesia were not receiving enough
\nhelp from society. \"I like playing soccer with the (OMCF)
\nchildren,\" Michal said. \"I also help organize visits to the (OMC)
\nhouses and orphanages.\"<\/p>\n
Michal who is also \"the photographer\" of TAA, has taken
\ncaptivating pictures of the OMCF children that have been posted
\non TAA's website (www.tolonganakanak.com) or used for fund-
\nraising.<\/p>\n
Like Pavithra and Michal, Bhuvana Radharkrishnan is also
\nactively involved in TAA.<\/p>\n
\"TAA has given me a great opportunity to help children,\" said
\nthe Grade 12 student. \"As TAA's website manager I am helping
\npromote (the project) by advertising on the web. You're helping
\nthese kids have better lives and that feels really great\".<\/p>\n
\"You're not working for yourself,\" Pavitra chipped in. \"You're
\nhelping so many children. It's sort of like a bond. It's so hard
\nto break that.\"<\/p>\n
Penha aptly summed up TAA's principle: \"We don't try to get
\npeople to help for reasons of guilt or pity. We gain from the
\nwork we do and they (the charities) gain from the work we do.
\nThat's the perfect kind of relationship to have\".<\/p>\n
TAA's fund-raising adviser Manjula Salomon said besides
\norganizing activities for the OMCF children in their houses, the
\nchildren were also regularly brought to the JIS campus to enjoy
\nsporting activities, such as swimming, with their JIS
\ncounterparts.<\/p>\n
The OMCF children are also afforded English language tuition
\nand computer lessons by the high school students.<\/p>\n
\"In these last few years we've been tracking our alumni and
\nthis service culture has traveled with them. Many of them can no
\nlonger live without contributing in some way to the community
\nthey live in,\" Salomon said proudly.<\/p>\n
As another illustration of its unwavering commitment and
\nconcern for the OMCF children, the TAA has set up an endowment
\nthat it hopes can be used to run the OMC Houses in the event the
\nformer is unable to continue its financial support.<\/p>\n
\"If we are not in the country or the situation changes, these
\nfunds will keep the three houses going,\" said Salomon.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/school-program-reaches-out-to-kids-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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