Red Cross seeks funds in malls

Red Cross seeks funds in malls

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Jakarta chapter will start
soliciting donations of Rp 1,000 (less than 11 U.S. cents) from
taxi passengers, shoppers and car park users starting Oct. 1.

"No sanction will be imposed if someone refuses to donate,"
said fund-raising committee head Sukri Bey on Tuesday. "The fund
is being raised to cover the Red Cross budget deficit."

Sukri, who is also the City Economy Administration Bureau
head, said companies, such as Blue Bird Group and Royal City taxi
operators, Secure Parking company and Carrefour, Hero and
Superindo retailers had agreed to take part in the fund raising.

"We will put stickers inside taxis to inform passengers of the
program. The drivers will then ask if the passengers would like
to give a donation to the Red Cross," he said.

The fund raising will also be conducted in schools, movie
theaters and recreational centers.

"We are also looking into the possibility of inviting
pharmaceutical companies to join the program since they are also
involved in health concerns," Sukri said.

PMI Jakarta chapter head Syarifuddin promised that the money
collected in the three-month program would be audited by an
independent auditor.

"The fund will be put in a separate bank account from PMI.
When the program ends, the fund will be transferred to the PMI
account," he said.

According to Syarifuddin, the fund will be used especially to
finance the day-to-day operations of the Red Cross.

This year, the Red Cross aims to provide 230,000 bags of blood
in Jakarta. However, as of Sep. 21, it had only managed to supply
184,448 bags of blood due to financial constraints. While blood
is donated freely, funds are needed for blood donation drives and
for the logistical requirements of such programs.

Last year, a similar fund-raising program managed to collect
Rp 3.9 billion. -- JP