Emil leads social safety-net program
Emil leads social safety-net program
JAKARTA (JP): A private program to coordinate the distribution
of funds for rural societies' non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) was established here on Tuesday.
The Community Recovery Program (CRP) was set up by a number of
NGO and community organization leaders to help the most needy
with food security, basic social services, job creation
opportunities and income generation.
On Tuesday the program members signed the trust fund
cooperation and funding agreement with the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) and the United Kingdom's Department of
International Development.
The UK, represented by Peter Johnstone, pledged assistance of
850,000 (US$1.4 million), and the UNDP, through its
representative Ravi Rajan, promised $500,000.
CRP is expecting to raise funds from the international
community and also local business groups, according to Emil
Salim, the chairman of its National Council.
Emil has already set up the Gema Madani group to campaign for
a civil society, with activists including Erna Witoelar. Erna is
now CRP's facilitator.
Emil said that as a "synergy" of private parties, CRP was
"proof that one can be independent to contribute to the country."
The program will have a network, involving local banks, to
reach NGOs and community organizations in rural areas. The
organizations will be encouraged to propose programs most
suitable to the needs of their particular communities.
"But we are not giving charity, people have to earn (money) to
return the funds (so they) learn more about self-empowerment,"
said Emil.
This is also to decrease people's dependency on the government
aid, he added. The management of funds will be transparent, he
added.
Last month the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef)
representative to Indonesia, Stephen J. Woodhouse, criticized the
many charities for the poor, saying they could lead to
dependency.
CRP has set up a consortium of 27 organizations which are
entitled to channel funds to the thousands of other organizations
with which they work.
Among the consortium members are Yayasan Pendidikan Bersama in
Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, which focuses on scholarships for
elementary and junior high school students; Kharisma Pertiwi
Indonesia, which concentrates on job creation and income
generation for women with unemployed husbands in Mataram, West
Nusa Tenggara; Permata Hati, a job creation and income generation
group for vendors in Tangerang, West Java; the Indonesian
Association of Accountants and the women's division of Moslem
organization Nahdatul Ulama.
The Program has a steering committee of 12 people, including
Budhy Tjahjati Soegijoko, deputy of foreign economic cooperation
at the National Development Planning Board and economist Kwik
Kian Gie.
A similar program set up last month, the Indonesian Committee
for Humanitarian Programs (KKI), has been appointed by the
government to distribute aid to the needy.
The government has recently encouraged the involvement of NGOs
to handle social safety net programs to ensure the assistance
reaches the needy. (01)