'Kompas' scholarships for paper boys, girls
JAKARTA (JP): More than 1,000 newspaper boys and girls from various parts of Indonesia got a surprise bonus on Saturday from one of the newspapers they have been delivering -- scholarships.
The management of Kompas, by far Indonesia's best-selling newspaper with a daily circulation of more than 500,000, presented the scholarships on Saturday in a ceremony attended by Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and Kompas Chief Editor Jakob Oetama.
The recipients were 200 elementary school students, 400 junior high school students, 400 senior high school students and five students of special schools for disabled children.
"Elementary school students will get Rp 150,000 (US$66) a year, junior high school students Rp 200,000 and senior high school students Rp 250,000," Kompas' circulation manager, A. Kardjono, told The Jakarta Post.
This is the first time that Kompas has awarded scholarships to delivery boys and girls. "If the results of these scholarships are positive, we are going to improve the program," Kardjono said.
The purpose of the scholarships is to help the paper boys and girls to a better future, he said. "We don't expect that they will be delivering newspapers all their life."
The scholarships are to continue until the recipients have completed senior high school.
"The scholarships may not be large, but we hope they will help them finish school. It is a first step, and we hope this initiative will be followed by other companies," Wardiman said.
Most of newsboys and girls interviewed told the Post that they did not know the amount of the scholarship.
"I will use the money to finance my education and if it is possible I will help my mother with her stall," said Imam Buchori, a 19-year-old disabled student of the Economic Senior High School in South Jakarta.
"I don't have a father anymore and my mother only runs a small vending stall at my house, so I have to finance my own education if I want to continue my studies," said Winarni, a student at another economic senior high school.
Most of the paper boys and girls say they earn about Rp 50,000 a month. Some have managed to save some of what they have earned.
"I've got Rp 150,000 in the bank for my education expenses," said Susanto.
He said some of his customers treat him well, giving him additional money on Idul Fitri, but that others bullied him whenever he was late with their newspaper.
Most of the paper boys and girls said they wanted to be "somebody" one day.
"I want to be a sailor," 12-year-old Suhendy said. (31)