Orphans do their bit for refugees

Orphans do their bit for refugees

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta orphans, grouped under the Indonesian
Orphanages Agency (Bakorpin), sent 10 tons of food aid on Monday
to an East Timorese refugee camp in Kupang, Nusa Tenggara.

"The orphans cut down their regular meals from three times to
two times a day just to take part in this humanitarian aid,"
Bakorpin chairwoman S. Renyda Chaniago Ritonga said.

"The aid package, including salted fish, rice, instant noodles
and second-hand clothes, will be transported by land and sent to
the Nusa Tenggara Timur police chief.

"The police chief will then deliver it to the refugees."

Renyda, whose husband Marahuddin Ritonga was the Jakarta
police chief from 1989 until 1992, said the refugees needed more
help due to the upcoming rainy season. Some shelters are not yet
built and they also have to deal with scarce supplies of fresh
water.

"The orphans only contributed an insignificant amount of aid,
but they have been willing to share, which is more important and
will have a psychological effect on them.

"I told them that they have only lost their parents, but the
refugees have lost everything they ever had," said Renyda.

"Several Muslim orphans observed optional fasting days on
Mondays and Thursdays, in order to contribute more."

"We will also send similar aid packages to refugees in Aceh in
the near future," said Mrs. Ritonga.

She added that the aid package for Aceh refugees would be in
cash.

Bakorpin is an umbrella organization for orphanages nationwide
and has branches in 17 provinces. It encompasses all religions
and in Jakarta alone it coordinates some 300 orphanages. (05)