Food-for-work program to start later this month
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)