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.