Committed to children's welfare

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post/Makassar

Although the public and central government tend to be more focused on politics and other issues, Azikin Soulthan, the regent of Bantaeng, South Sulawesi province, has been directing his efforts and attention to the creation of decent conditions for children in his area, particularly the fulfillment of their basic rights.

He has long been concerned about children's woes in the country, which have been exacerbated by adverse policies.

An increasing number of children have taken to the streets as workers and street kids, which will damage their future in the long term.

Some parents aggravate the situation by exploiting their children; they force them to work on the streets for reasons of financial necessity following the protracted economic crisis.

Supporting a family, he says, should not be the responsibility of children, who should receive a decent education in order to become useful citizens later in life.

Azikin's commitment to the promotion of a decent quality of life in Bantaeng was already evident when he was elected regent in 1998. He argued that only by possessing quality personnel would the region have a better future, while avoiding poverty through expert management of local natural resources.

In order to realize his commitment, Azikin, born in Bantaeng on August 17, 1953, started with a policy in support of children's well-being. He raised the proportion of funding devoted to child education and health in the regency budget from 20 percent to 30 percent. It was raised again this year to 37 percent.

His understanding of children's basic rights to be fulfilled by the state grew stronger when, in 2001, he issued a decision on the issuance of birth certificates free of charge for children up to the age of six, which in 2003 became a regional regulation.

As a consequence, Bantaeng lost some revenue. In 2001, Bantaeng's income from birth certificate fees had reached Rp 14.4 million and in the following year the local administration set a target of Rp 26.4 million.

Azikin, however, chose to take the risk because he maintained that a decent existence for children would be an investment for the region's future. He did not want to see children deprived of schooling simply due to a failure to obtain birth documents for them, as is the right of the newly born to recognition by the state.

"I appreciated I would be sacrificing children's future for the sake of the regional treasury. I finally decided to bear the risk of lower income to avoid victimizing them. I think it's a kind of investment in Bantaeng in particular and Indonesia in general," he revealed.

UN, presidential recognition

The policy adopted by the regent, who previously served as a village chief and district head, has spared Indonesia from being considered one of the countries that pays the least attention to the UN Convention on Children's Rights.

Representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Indonesia Anthony A. Kennedy said the policy at least showed Indonesia's goodwill in implementing the convention, and should be applied nationally to prove its optimal compliance.

Azikin's strong commitment to his child-oriented policy has also earned him the appreciation of UNICEF and prompted the agency to cooperate with the regency, particularly on education and children's rights.

This includes school-based management in all primary schools financed by the regional budget. UNICEF described him as a public official with a sensitive comprehension of human development from an early stage.

The program aims at arousing greater interest in learning and teaching activities, as well as in developing creativity, with wider opportunities for creation and participation by students, teachers and the public. To this end, a radio station broadcasting educational information has been set up in the region.

In another drive, Azikin has exempted all students of primary and Islamic schools from educational fees, effective as of 2004.

Also in compliance with children's rights, a playground has been built for youngsters, located in the center of Bantaeng.

In the field of health, the regent has made it obligatory for local citizens to consume iodized salt and banned the use of noniodized salt. The regency administration has continued in its campaign to popularize its consumption especially among children, because iodine is reckoned to assist the development of their intelligence.

The role of integrated health clinics in the community is also clearly recognized. All clinic personnel receive allowances from the local budget. Consequently, the incidence of child undernourishment in Bantaeng is relatively low.

Meanwhile, Azikin is drawing up a program to provide a special place for dealing with children who get into trouble with the law. It will be followed by the building of a correctional facility for children who have already been sentenced. It will be designed to minimize the trauma that inmates tend to suffer in such institutions.

The fuel subsidy compensation fund is planned to be allocated to various educational and health activities in the regency.

Recently, Azikin was given the Wirakarya Pembangunan award by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in recognition of his contribution within the field of education.

Nonetheless, Azikin is still not satisfied with the range of policies and measures that favor children in his area.

The continued presence of children on the streets disturbs him. He sincerely hopes that the matter will be addressed in a meaningful way.

"The nation's future is determined by the quality of children as members of future generations. Unless they lead decent lives, with their right to education and good health adequately protected, how else can they contribute to society?" he asked, pointedly.