Foster Parents Movement goes remote

Foster Parents Movement goes remote

By Antoni Tambunan

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan (JP): While most organizations
struggle to find their feet in the first year of operation, the
Foster Parents Movement has shown an outreach that surpasses many
other campaigns.

Established by President Soeharto and chaired by Halimah
Bambang Trihatmodjo, the organization has an impressive array of
names from both the military and the bureaucracy across the
country.

Every time Halimah visits a region, local military leaders,
informal leaders and bureaucrats race to tell her their
commitment to the movement.

At the national level, President Soeharto is the Foster
Parents Movement's chief patron. At the provincial and regency
levels, the patrons are governors and regents.

The board of advisors includes the Coordinating Minister of
People's Welfare Azwar Anas, ministers of social services, home
affairs, education and culture, religious affairs, and the Armed
Forces chief. At the provincial and regency levels, the advisors
include chiefs of the regional military commands and vice
governors.

The Foster Parents Movement strives to assist the government's
compulsory education program, raise money and send six million
poor children to school.

Anyone can become a foster parent by donating Rp 60,000
(US$20) a year for an elementary schoolchild or Rp 90,000 for a
junior high school student at Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

The organization uses the money to pay for the students'
tuition and school supplies. So far, 600,000 children throughout
Indonesia have been able to attend school due to the work of the
organization.

Chairwoman Halimah Bambang Trihatmodjo spoke to The Jakarta
Post recently and challenged critics who believe the organization
has gained so much public support because she is President
Soeharto's daughter-in-law.

Question: Who was behind the establishment of the campaign?

Answer: President Soeharto launched it in Semarang on May 29,
1996.

Q: Why are you interested in the mission?

A: I am an Indonesia and my heart brings me to this, helping
children who no longer have any hope of going to school. You know
how easily Indonesians are moved when people are suffering.
Besides, this is everyone's responsibility.

Q: You have three children with Bambang Trihatmodjo. How do you
manage your time?

A: Household affairs are not the responsibility of a wife only.
They are also the husband's responsibility. My husband and I have
agreed that I should be involved in this movement. Besides, this
is a noble mission, helping our children face up to
globalization.

I usually discuss my activities with my children and I seek my
husband's approval. We both agreed to share family
responsibilities together.

Don't forget, all my three children are involved in the
campaign.

Q: Do you think this movement has gained popularity because of
you?

A: I don't think so. But I hope that the movement will be really
popular and people will support it. I'm proud and grateful.

Let's hope that this mission is not just popular because I am
President Soeharto's daughter-in-law. Let's hope the expression
of support I received from local officials every time I visited a
region was because they really cared (about the children).

Q: Do you have other ambitions, such as becoming a minister?

A: Not at all. This is something that I do because my heart tells
me to.

The Foster Parents Movement cooperates with other
organizations to help children. This cooperation is necessary so
there won't be any overlapping in activities such as making an
inventory of children who need help and distributing the
assistance.

Q: You have effectively solicited the help of high ranking
officers in the Armed Forces...

A: Please do not misinterpret this. Armed Forces members are also
Indonesians who care (about the children). Besides, we hope that
the Armed Forces will be able to extend the movement's outreach
to even the remotest places.

Please do not look at the organization as competing against
the government's social services program. It's one of the
government's partners.

So far, Indonesian businesspeople, at the national and
regional levels, have shown great support for the movement. And
remember, the same support has also been shown by foreign
organizations, including those from the United States, Hong Kong
and Malaysia.