Aussie Christians, Muhammadiyah team up to help Acehnese youths

Aussie Christians, Muhammadiyah team up to help Acehnese youths

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Foreign organizations continue their relief efforts in Aceh,
demonstrating their commitment to the long-term care of survivors
of the Dec. 26 tsunami.

Father Chris Riley, the founder and CEO of Youth Off The
Streets, signed a memorandum of understanding last week with
Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization,
outlining the Australia-based non-governmental organization's
commitment to helping the children of Aceh.

"The MOU formalizes the partnership between Youth Off The
Streets and Muhammadiyah and includes details of what each group
will contribute to the partnership, which is ultimately designed
to benefit the many thousands of children," the Australian
organization said in a statement.

This commitment includes the provision of safeguards and
protection for the children, and continued efforts to reunite
children separated from their families in the tsunami.

It also outlines the ongoing support for the children of Aceh
as they return to school.

Youth Off The Streets and Muhammadiyah also will help the
local economy by providing employment for locals. They recently
employed cooks, child care workers, psychologists and translators
from the area.

"I am very grateful for the privilege of being able to help in
this time of need. Instead of focusing on (our religious)
differences, we have been able to focus on common humanity,"
Riley said in the statement.

Set up in 1991, Youth Off The Streets is known for its work
with chronically homeless and drug addicted young people.
It has grown to provide a wide range of services for children.

Shortly after the tsunami ravaged Aceh, there were reports
about Acehnese children who would be adopted by a U.S-based
Catholic organization.

The reports, which were eventually found to be false, angered
some Acehnese, most of whom are Muslim.

Meanwhile, the U.S.-based Refugees International has sent a
survey mission to Aceh to identify medium and long-term
requirements for the reconstruction of the province.

The delegation was headed by Joel Charny, the vice president
for policy at Refugees International, and United States-Indonesia
Society official James McNaughton, who is also a vice president
at Asia Investment Consultants.