Lions Club Int'l president praises local Lions Club
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Lions Club Indonesia received a roar of approval from Lions Club International president Clement F. Kusiak on Sunday for its work in the country.
"I am very proud of what Lions Club Indonesia members have done, especially for their quick response to disasters in Aceh and other places," Kusiak said during a press conference here on Sunday.
Kusiak, who arrived in Jakarta on Saturday for a three-day visit, encouraged club members to continue their good work in the country, which has been hit by a tsunami and a string of earthquakes over the past few months.
Lions Club District 307 B governor Charles Ong Saerang said Kusiak would visit several of Lions Club Indonesia's projects in Jakarta before leaving on Monday.
During a lunch in his honor on Sunday, Kusiak presented awards to the National Family Planning Coordinating Agency, the Family Welfare Movement and club volunteers for their outstanding contributions to the country.
The lunch was also attended by representatives from several government agencies.
Lions Club, which commits itself to helping people throughout the world, has over a million members in 193 countries worldwide.
According to Eddy Widjanarko, the club's council chairman in Indonesia, besides helping people in areas hit by natural disaster like Aceh, North Sumatra and Nias, Lion Clubs Indonesia operates health, education and environmental programs, as well as a youth exchange.
The club has allocated about US$5.6 million for emergency relief efforts and $1.25 million for its health, education and environmental programs.
"We went directly to Aceh right after the tsunami hit the province, and now we have people in Nias to help people there. However, we are also very famous for our activities helping people with cataract problems. We have helped about 50,000 people with cataracts in Indonesia receive surgery," Eddy said.
The club's youth exchange program has sent many young Indonesians to other countries and has long been a model for homestays abroad, he said.
The main goal of the exchange program, according to Eddy, is to expose young Indonesians to other cultures.