Need-based scholarships abound, but information needs publicity

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sitting on a bench near a dump, Harsya, a 40-year-old scavenger, said he was relieved to have received a donation from a foundation to cover his daughter's school enrollment fee.

For the father of four, the Rp 400,000 (US$40) his daughter Risdayani needed to enroll in elementary school was beyond reach. Harsya lost his job two years ago, after being fired by the company that employed him as a security guard.

Harsya was informed by his neighbor about the foundation, Dompet Dhuafa. The neighbors also accompanied him to the foundation's office to ask for help paying his daughter's school fees.

The foundation, which was set up by Republika daily more than 10 years ago and has since become an independent body, has helped cover the education costs of thousands of students across the country.

Last year, the foundation helped pay the school fees of more than 3,000 students from elementary school to the university level.

A foundation executive, Hendra Setia, said Dompet Dhuafa had two programs for students: long-term scholarships and emergency help.

"More people come for emergency aid than those who ask for full scholarships," Hendra said.

He said people usually came because they could no longer pay their children's monthly tuition or their enrollment fees.

Hendra said that in order to get aid from the foundation, parents only had to present a letter from their neighborhood unit chief stating they were indigent.

"Our staff then survey their neighborhood and the school. It does not take much time to complete," he said.

Another foundation, Darunnissa, also provides assistance for students from poor families. Aside from financial help, the foundation also provides dormitories to house students who have lost their parents.

Of the 250 students now being financially assisted by the foundation, some 80 live in the foundation's dormitory in Ciputat, South Jakarta, foundation officer Siti Aminah said.

She said the foundation, which is funded by donations from individuals and private organizations, also helped cover the education costs of 40 students from conflict areas in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Similarly, Yayasan Kemanusian Ibu Pertiwi in Bali helps finance the education of children who lost parents in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Dompet Dhuafa, Darunnisa and Yayasan Kemanusian Ibu Pertiwi are just three examples of dozens or maybe hundreds of foundations providing scholarships for students of poor families.

Parents can find the names and addresses of the foundations on the Internet.

The problem is that many people like Harsya, who are struggling just to survive every day, have no access to the Internet. Few of them are aware of the existence of these and other foundations.

It is helpful then for people living near the poor to let them know about these foundations and maybe even to accompany them to the foundations' offices.