Help for poor Maluku students

AMBON, Maluku: The Indonesian community in Western Australia will give financial assistance to 161 poor vocational school students in conflict-ridden Maluku.

The donation, valued at Rp 300,000 (US$29.5) per student, will be channeled through the local office of the National Family Planning Coordination Board (BKKBN).

By comparison, another 90 vocational school students from the province received a similar donation last year, chief of the Maluku branch of BKKBN I Ketut Sutjita said on Friday.

Ketut said that the 90 students of vocational schools were part of 356 elementary, junior and senior high school students, who received assistance from the same community last year.

"We are grateful to receive any assistance given to the talented students here," Sutjita said. -- Antara