Scholarships for street children

Scholarships for street children

BOGOR (JP): The West Java administration has allotted a total
of Rp 66 million (US$9,165) to cover the school fees of 50 street
children in Bogor for the next nine months.

"The 50 kids were selected out of 125 children being looked
after by the Gesang Gosyari Foundation," Yanto, chairman of a
foundation run by the administration, said.

The foundation, located on Blok A/9 No. 11 of Bogor Baru
Housing complex, has been helping depreived children for the past
five years.

Head of Bogor Prosecutors' Office Burhan Hamid handed over the
money in a ceremony marking Women's Day on Wednesday at the Bogor
municipality building.

"Many of the street kids are actually talented children. Here
we try to help them and prevent them from throwing away their
talents," Yanto said, adding that 60 of the foundation's students
are now living independently.

Since the economic crisis in 1997, the amount (of children
seeking shelter at the foundation) has rapidly increased while
the funds to support them to continue their studies have not been
available, he said.

"Hopefully, donations will keep pouring in." (24/edt)