Firms give hope to Acehnese kids

Firms give hope to Acehnese kids

Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta

Many companies have shown their concern for the welfare of the
children of Aceh following the tsunami that struck the province
last December.

Some companies have helped the children return to school and
resume normal lives by building schools and providing school
supplies such as stationery and books. Others have provided
decent housing and introduced small enterprise schemes.

Sampoerna Foundation, in the first phase of an education
rehabilitation program, has built 150 emergency schools in eight
districts in Aceh that were most affected by the tsunami.

Each of the emergency schools consists of one tent able to
house 60 students. The tents are equipped with chairs, books,
blackboards and stationery. As a result, 4,000 students are able
to continue their studies during this difficult time.

According to Hendri B. Satrio, the foundation's communications
officer, the project will last a year. It involves the Ministry
of National Education, donors, local teachers and other parties.
The emergency school program is expected to end by August this
year since most of the schools damaged in the tsunami have been
repaired.

The foundation began the second phase of its Aceh program in
May by providing free tutorial programs for high school students.
The first program was for students preparing to take the national
final exams and the second was for students preparing for
university admission tests.

During the second phase of its education program, Sampoerna
Foundation also helped to refurbish school buildings and provided
textbooks and scholarships for high school and university
students.

To help the children of Aceh and Nias receive an education,
Avon Indonesia has disbursed a handsome amount of money through
several organizations.

Avon Indonesia's public relations and marketing support
manager, Gunawan, said the company donated US$150,000 in March
this year through Unicef. In April, the company disbursed $70,125
through the Indonesian Red Cross and the Kompas Humanity Fund.

In June, the company donated $43,000 through the Nurani Dunia
Foundation, which is chaired by noted sociologist Imam B.
Prasodjo.

To help provide wider access to education and health services,
pharmaceutical company PT Novartis Biochemie, in cooperation with
the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA),
provided a "Mobile Service for Children" on July 14 this year.
Klaus Ribbe, president director PT Novartis Biochemie, said in a
written statement that the cars would serve the educational and
health needs of children living in tsunami-affected areas.

The cars will serve as mobile libraries as well as helping
meet the health and education needs of children in Aceh. Friends
and staff of Komnas PA will organize the service.

"Just like children around the world, children living in
tsunami-affected areas also have the right to learn and to be
healthy," said Seto Mulyadi, the chairman of Komnas PA.

He said most of the books provided by the mobile libraries
would be storybooks, some written specially for children affected
by tsunami. There will also be a team to encourage the children
to brush their teeth, cut their nails and perform other basic
personal grooming tasks.

When the tsunami struck, PT Novartis Biochemie immediately
sent medicine through several organizations, including GP
Farmasi. The company also sent volunteers to Aceh in cooperation
with local non-governmental organization.

To is providing houses and sustainable sources of income,
Citibank Peka has provided houses and macro-financing for needy
families in Aceh. The housing project, in cooperation with
Habitat for Humanity, will build 350 houses in the villages of
Tibang and Mulya in Banda Aceh.

Ditta Amahorseya, the vice president and head of corporate
affairs at Citibank Indonesia, said the project also involved
traditional leaders in the two villages.

"We will provide a prototype of the houses and give community
members a week to give us some input," Ditta said.

The project will cost about Rp 5 billion. Citibank Peka also
provides macro-financing programs for tsunami survivors. One
program involves training NGOs workers in micro-financing and
another involves offering funds for the establishment of micro-
enterprises.