Expatriate charity groups help out in economic crisis
Expatriate charity groups help out in economic crisis
By Brigid O'Halloran
JAKARTA (JP): Expatriate living in Indonesia is not just about
large dollar salaries, mansions with swimming pools and having
dozens of servants to answer every beck and call. For many years
the expatriate community has played a significant role in the
establishment and support of social welfare programs in their
adopted homeland.
With the International Labor Organization predicting that two
out of three Indonesians will be living below the poverty line by
the end of this year, the need for these groups has never been
greater. Their support is needed more than ever as many
charitable organizations struggle to meet the needs of people
affected by the debilitating economic crisis.
One expatriate organization which is continuing to provide
support for more than 30 projects throughout the archipelago, is
the Dutch Werkgroep 72, named after the year it was formed.
Similar to many other nationality-based groups, the 29 women
and one man are very active in supporting a diverse range of
projects, from the establishment of small businesses in poorer
regions to the provision of scholarships for students right up to
university level.
Several months ago the organization began distributing funds
for sembako (the nine basic commodities -- rice, cooking oil,
salted fish, sugar, flour, unbleached cloth, kerosene, synthetic
material and detergent), when the prices started to soar.
With unemployment skyrocketing, the Werkgroep is also
concentrating on helping poorer families become more self-
sufficient. In Bogor, the Werkgroep has supplied fish for a small
fish farming enterprise and in Jakarta it is currently trying to
raise enough money to purchase tools and equipment for a
mechanical repairs workshop it has recently helped build.
In addition, the group helps with the distribution and sale of
handicrafts made by the poor and advises on the color and design
of the items to suit Western tastes. It distributes intricately
stenciled greeting cards, canvas bags, ikats and other
handcrafted goods throughout Indonesia and internationally.
The Werkgroep finances various building projects, such as the
renovation of schools and orphanages. This work ranges from
simple roof repairs to the construction of an entire building or
wing. Medical sponsorship of tuberculosis patients, heart
surgery, cranial facial operations, and cancer treatments also
constitute a large part of the groups activities.
Werkgroep chairwoman Renee Schmidt said the organization
responds to requests for assistance from both individuals and
yayasan (non-profit foundations), although only projects that can
be tightly controlled are funded.
The organization liaises with other Jakarta-based expatriate
associations to ensure that a wide range of community needs are
met but not duplicated. Many of these groups attend meetings with
Indonesian welfare organizations such as the Social Welfare
Coordinating Body (BKKKS), to obtain information about projects
requiring support.
The Women's International Club (WIC) is another group working
to assist those in need. Although the organization's membership
is predominantly Indonesian, more than forty percent of its
members are expatriates.
WIC funds a large scholarship program for more than 80
undergraduate students in their final two years of study. It is
also involved in a number of one-off projects, such as funding
for new school classrooms or hospital equipment.
The organization also has longer-term programs, sponsoring
institutions for a period of five years. At present long-term
funding is being provided to six orphanages, four soup kitchens,
a nursing home, several homes for the handicapped and a home for
abandoned babies.
Margaret Hulbert, a member of the WIC social welfare
committee, said the club also provided funding for a school
nutrition program and paid the salaries of the nursing staff in a
hospital.
"It also pays for the services of a physiotherapist to treat
disabled people in a home for the handicapped", she said.
At a time when many people can't afford basic necessities the
club engages in more enjoyable pursuits. It organizes a
children's day for orphans at Dunia Fantasi in Ancol, North
Jakarta, and takes the elderly on excursions, providing lunch and
entertainment. WIC also holds Lebaran and Christmas parties,
providing presents for each of the institutions it supports.
Over recent months, as the crisis has led to an exodus of
foreigners, the membership of many expatriate associations,
including WIC has declined dramatically. Many will find it hard
to continue their charity activities on the same scale next year.
The Australia New Zealand Association (ANZA) has lost more than
half its members in the past twelve months.
Renee, from the Dutch Werkgroep, said that although the group
had lost members because of the crisis, it had also gained
several new ones.
"We haven't been hit too hard, the biggest problem is that you
lose the expertise because new members have to be trained," she
said.
The Japan Women's Club (JWC), another expatriate women's
association devoting much of its time and resources to social
welfare activities, has found that although membership has
dwindled, donations have actually increased.
The JWC receives a large proportion of its funding from
Japanese corporations with subsidiaries in Indonesia.
JWC member Atsuku Baba said that surprisingly the
organization's charity activities had been well funded this year,
despite the fact that their annual bazaar was canceled in July
due to the unstable political and economic climate.
"Companies have generally been more generous because they can
see the people in need and would like to put something back into
the community", she said.
The JWC's work includes the provision of donations to
scholarship funds and social welfare institutions such as
orphanages, homes for the elderly and hospitals, and funding for
emergency food packages.
In August, the JWC helped supply several hundred people
affected by the fire which gutted more than 100 houses on Jl.
Damai in Cipete, with essential food items and used clothing.
Members of the JWC also regularly visit orphanages and pasar
classrooms (schools for street children) to play with the
children, teaching them Japanese songs and handicrafts such as
origami and sewing.
Atsuku likens the current situation in Indonesia to that
experienced in Japan after the Second World War.
"The situation is rather overwhelming, there is so much
poverty and so many children not going to school", she said.
The scale of the poverty in Indonesia means that expat
organizations such as JWC will have little impact on the overall
situation. Atsuku, however remains positive.
"It is difficult to see if we are making a difference, but we
must continue to do what we can", she said.