Food-for-work program to start later this month
JAKARTA (JP): A food-for-work program worth US$429,400 will start later this month in two areas of Jakarta worst hit by the crisis, an official from an international humanitarian organization said on Thursday.
Communications Manager of World Vision International-Indonesia (WVII) Hendro Suwito told The Jakarta Post the project was meant to assist poor people in urban areas hit hardest by the impact of the monetary turmoil.
"The program will be implemented in Kali Baru, Tanjung Priok, in North Jakarta and Kramat Jati in East Jakarta.
"We will assist the poor residents there by together creating suitable fields of work for them. In return the workers will get three kilograms rice per day," Hendro said.
The seven-month food-for-work project is expected to support 15,000 people in the two areas.
"The funding for this program come from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United Nations' World Food Program. We are conducting the project here in coordination with the Ministry of Social Services," the spokesman added.
The ministry is providing details such as data on needy people and administrative assistance.
World Vision director James L. Tumbuan said the project was focusing on Jakarta's urban poor because, unlike in other places, the impacts of unemployment in the capital were complicated and burdening.
"Workers here, especially (industrial) laborers, don't have the ability to cope that villagers do. Villagers can still work on their land," he said.
He described the various dire social problems caused by the economic crisis in Jakarta.
"In Kali Baru, for instance, children work for four hours cracking up cockle shells for Rp 3,000 (34 U.S. cents). They usually do it before or after school.
"Most of their parents are jobless and there is a father who only earns Rp 10,000 a week but has a Rp 120,000 debt to his children's school," James said.
From October last year to the present, World Vision -- a humanitarian non-governmental organization which started operating here in 1961 -- has channeled some US$14.4 million for various community-based development projects, relief programs and social safety-net projects in 22 provinces in the country.
Of a total of US$14.4 million, US$6.4 million was allocated for relief and social safety nets projects while the US$8 million was used to run routine community-based development projects here, each of which could vary from five to 15 years.
Visiting President of World Vision International Dean Hirsch said that he would seek ways to further expand its urban safety- nets projects here.
"We're waiting for approval for the next project. We have just completed a nine-month US$1.3 million relief program for more than 50,000 people in the Jayawijaya highlands in Irian Jaya who are suffering a food crisis," Hirsch noted. (edt)