Accommodating thousands of children

Accommodating thousands of children

From Republika

Following the report in The Jakarta Post on Jan. 3 that there
is fear about the future of the child survivors of the tsunami
disaster in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the central executive board
of Hidayatullah would like to state as follows:
1. It supports the government's policy not to let these children
be taken out of Aceh until clear data about their families has
been obtained.
2. Hidayatullah Islamic Boarding Schools in Lhokseumawe and Banda
Aceh, which were spared in the disaster, and those in Medan and
Nias have been prepared to accommodate refugees, particularly
children. Hidayatullah volunteers from Medan and Jakarta have
been actively channeling relief aid from Banda Aceh and
Lhokseumawe.
3. Hidayatullah has prepared 101 orphanages, usually called Pusat
Pendidikan Anak Shaleh (PPAS/Centers of Education for Pious
Children) all over Indonesia to accommodate the children from
Aceh for the short-, mid- or long-term. All these orphanages can
take in 5,000 to 10,000 children from Aceh.
4. When these children are accommodated in PPAS, or in similar
institutions owned by Muslims, their futures will be better taken
care of. It will also be easier to take stock of these children
and trace their families to ensure that they will not lose their
origins when their rehabilitation period is over.
5. Over 5,000 Muslim families have expressed their readiness to
be foster parents to these children.

For this purpose, please contact Ir Candra Kumianto
(0818-7469-92). F Adhim, Banda Aceh (0812-9371-265). May God
bestow His guidance on us and help us in our times of need.

BM WIBOWO
Secretary-General
of Central Executive
Board of Hidayatullah
Jakarta