Regrettable report on urban poor

We would like to express our appreciation for your March 30 coverage on the visit of urban poor communities to the World Bank office -- WB urged to postpone aid package on Page 3. However, there are some very disturbing details that we would like to clarify.

* The Jakarta Post wrote: "The protesters, who she (Wardah Hafidz) said had received Rp 5,000 food allowance and 'extra money' for their transportation each from her, greeted her with applause."

The information is grossly wrong and misleading. The context of the information was a question from your reporter about the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) and its activities, and I explained that all of us are volunteers, except for the staff in the secretariat (one secretary and one housekeeper) and the community organizers.

The community organizers do not receive a salary but do get Rp 5,000 food allowance/meal (Rp 15,000/day), housing allowance (between Rp 55,000 and Rp 75,000/month), reimbursement for actual transport (nontaxi public transport) and actual communications spending. The money does not at all come from my own pocket. It is from the organization.

As to the applause for me, I am afraid your reporter got it wrong -- it was a strong protest for my being late.

* The Post also wrote: "The protesters, some of whom arrived in taxis... well dressed, apparently able to read English well."

There were three groups who arrived by taxi -- one from Warung Jengkol, East Jakarta, because they had to carry food; one from the UPC office because they were responsible for transporting drinking water and materials for the rally; and one from Kampung Rawa, West Jakarta.

The latter paid the taxi fares with their own money -- not because they were rich but because there were 10 of them and there would be only a Rp 500 difference if they took a bus/Metromini. By bus they would have had to change three times to get to the WB office.

We realize that there is strong stereotyping concerning the poor, but a broad-minded paper like the Post should be able to get away from such a trap, shouldn't it?

The beautiful idea of the visit, in which we invited the bank's officials to share our lunch in our traditional way, i.e., to sit on a mat and eat with the hand to symbolically tell them that we are the hosts and they are the guests in this country was clearly overlooked by the Post.

We deeply regret the report that was apparently full of incorrect insinuations.

WARDAH HAFIDZ

Jakarta