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)