ADB covers school fee of tribes

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided funds to pay the school fees of 1,415 children from poor families and the local Bajo tribe, one of the isolated tribes that live along the province's coastline.

The program, Retrifal, has lasted a year and cost ADB Rp 1.4 billion (US$157,300), the bank's consultant for the project, Saefudin, said on Saturday.

He said each of the children, 13 to 18 years old, received Rp 1 million for a year to pay their school fees, internal school activity fees, transportation costs and to buy school uniforms and stationery.

The program has been carried out in 59 tribal areas and poor subdistricts scattered in the regencies of Kendari, Kolaka, Muna and Buton.

Head of the Bajo tribe Abdul Gafur said the program had helped children who had dropped out of school to resume their education. Most of the children had quit school to help their parents support their families. -- Antara