Committed to children's welfare

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.