JIS community widens coverage of its aid

JAKARTA (JP): In response to the current economic crisis, the Jakarta International School (JIS) community is striving to expand the coverage of its assistance to needy children throughout Indonesia, an executive of the school said on Tuesday.

The expansion of help is being conducted by introducing four new projects aimed at expanding the outreach of Tolong Anak-Anak (TAA), the JIS social services organization, which has helped feed, clothe, house and educate the children over the last 20 years, James Penha, TAA coordinator, said.

A One More Chance House in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, has been established with TAA funding to get children off the streets and into school, he said.

Early this month, 14 children moved into the house, having left their former posts on Jl. Pramuka in Central Jakarta where for months they had literally been singing for their supper, he said.

"To run the house and take care of the children aged between 12 and 18 years, we have hired a house mother," Penha said, adding that the school had also donated furniture, fans and television sets to furnish the house.

"The number of children accommodated at the house is projected to continue increasing. We hope it will rise to 25 soon," he said.

Penha explained that the second project was run by JIS high school seniors, who invented the new TAA Cilandak project to show their appreciation and concern for local kampongs surrounding the JIS campuses.

"This project is financed by funds they voluntarily raise among themselves," he said.

In cooperation with local community leaders, the students contributed to the schooling and health of children in the area, he said.

"This project shows awareness among the students on what they could do to help the needy children in Indonesia, which is hard hit by the crisis. They feel they have gotten a lot from the country and in turn they want to do their best to help the country."

Through the Saturday project, the third of the new undertakings, JIS students invite children from TAA-supported foundations, orphanages and projects to special days at Jakarta amusement parks and on the JIS campus, Penha said.

On future Saturdays, the JIS youngsters plan, in turn, to visit foundations to help with house repairs and to play with and teach institutionalized children, he said.

He explained that last month TAA also sealed a new connection with the Daughters of Charity in Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta. In addition to providing basic foodstuffs for distribution by the nuns, TAA donated funds to insure the schooling of 67 children living in slum areas along the wharves.

These new ventures join the dozens of other endeavors under the TAA umbrella, Penha said, adding that, in all, since August TAA has donated Rp 30 million to children in Indonesia.

Between May 15 holiday closure of the school and its reopening in August, TAA donated over Rp 86 million to 20 foundations and orphanages caring for youngsters. This emergency relief arrived on top of the Rp 153 million in grants made by TAA during the 1997/1998 academic year.

Hundreds of JIS students, teachers, administrators, staff and parents continued to raise funds for TAA by staging theatrical events, by selling everything from cakes to Christmas cards to specially produced audio CDs and by personal and group contributions. (hhr)