Presidential treat for poor children

JAKARTA (JP): Almost 400 underprivileged children from all over Indonesia are currently in Jakarta to enjoy a rare presidential treat.

The children, who are being accommodated at the Haj Dormitory in Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, are touring the capital and its surroundings all expenses paid.

The peak of their activities, however, will be when they are entertained by President Soeharto at the presidential palace this Saturday, National Children Day.

The children are joining the Gelantara '94 program, organized by the Tiara Putra Foundation. The Tiara Putra Foundation is led by Mrs. Halimah B. Trihatmojo who is married to businessman Bambang Trihatmojo, the son of the president.

The children have a full itinerary, arranged intentionally so they don't get homesick, which includes visits to the Bogor botanical garden, the Cisarua safari park, Ancol dreamland, the National Monument, and Indonesia Miniature Park.

The children were selected from 307 regencies in Indonesia based on their school performance. All of the 27 provinces were also asked to send at least one physically handicapped child.

Halimah said the program was aimed at introducing the children to the capital city. "Many of them have never even seen their province's capital, let alone Jakarta," she told a press conference yesterday.

Some of the children, however, do not go for the Western fast food that their wealthier, urban peers are now indulging in.

One child is even insisting on tahu and tempe (soybean cakes) all the time, said Sarsisto Sarwono, head of the committee. (05)