School program reaches out to kids

School program reaches out to kids

Jamuna Nair, Contributor, Jakarta

There are some schoolchildren, who despite hectic study
schedules, still find time to help others.

An inspiring example is Tolong Anak Anak (TAA) or Help the
Children Foundation, a social service project of the Jakarta
International School (JIS).

TAA has raised funds to support orphanages, schools for the
handicapped, foster homes and hospitals across the country for
the past 25 years.

Five years ago, this nonprofit foundation, comprising more
than 100 student members (ranging from elementary to high
school), 10 student board members and three faculty advisers,
decided to take on a bigger and more personal commitment by
launching the One More Chance Foundation (OMCF) to help street-
children and orphans.

"OMCF is under the umbrella of TAA. Today OMCF has 30 children
under its care and they are accommodated in three houses," said
TAA coordinator Jose Carre.

The One More Chance Houses located on Jl. Lebak Bulus Raya in
South Jakarta consist of a house for boys aged between eight and
14, another for boys aged between 14 and 18 and one for girls
aged between eight and 14. The children have been entrusted under
the caring wings of Irma Dwikusumawati as director and house
mother, Intang William Lubis as assistant director and other
staffers, including "street-educators" (teachers experienced in
teaching street-children), Carre said.

TAA, as patron, contributes toward the OMCF children's
housing, food, clothing, health care, schooling, after-school
tuition, religious instruction and transportation. "Without us
they (the OMCF children) would be on the streets ... simple as
that," Carre said.

TAA treasurer Dr. Jack Penha said TAA needed Rp 18 million a
month to the run the OMC Houses and between Rp 20 million and Rp
30 million a year to support the other charities that relied on
JIS. The other charities include the Nur Abadi School for
Handicapped Children, Yos Sudarso Navy Orphanage, Sayap Ibu
Orphanage, Wisma Cheshire (home for the disabled) and the Mitra
Netra School for the Blind.

The funds are raised, among other ways, through book sales,
bake sales, UN Day card sales or by holding plays and soliciting
donations from companies. The JIS Parent Teacher Association
(PTA) is also one of TAA's staunchest supporters.

Daunting as this task may seem under the current economic
climate, TAA's spirit and resolve in raising funds for charity
have not been weakened. Penha said TAA has decided to help 18
more needy families in Cilandak and Cipete in South Jakarta by
paying toward their children's school fees.

Those involved in TAA's social service are also benefiting.

"Because it (TAA) is so strong, you actually can make a
difference with some of the people," said Pavitrhra, a grade 12
member.

"I am giving back something to the country I have been
residing in for so long. It makes me feel good."

Michal Sarapatka, also a Grade 12 TAA member,lamented that
underprivileged children in Indonesia were not receiving enough
help from society. "I like playing soccer with the (OMCF)
children," Michal said. "I also help organize visits to the (OMC)
houses and orphanages."

Michal who is also "the photographer" of TAA, has taken
captivating pictures of the OMCF children that have been posted
on TAA's website (www.tolonganakanak.com) or used for fund-
raising.

Like Pavithra and Michal, Bhuvana Radharkrishnan is also
actively involved in TAA.

"TAA has given me a great opportunity to help children," said
the Grade 12 student. "As TAA's website manager I am helping
promote (the project) by advertising on the web. You're helping
these kids have better lives and that feels really great".

"You're not working for yourself," Pavitra chipped in. "You're
helping so many children. It's sort of like a bond. It's so hard
to break that."

Penha aptly summed up TAA's principle: "We don't try to get
people to help for reasons of guilt or pity. We gain from the
work we do and they (the charities) gain from the work we do.
That's the perfect kind of relationship to have".

TAA's fund-raising adviser Manjula Salomon said besides
organizing activities for the OMCF children in their houses, the
children were also regularly brought to the JIS campus to enjoy
sporting activities, such as swimming, with their JIS
counterparts.

The OMCF children are also afforded English language tuition
and computer lessons by the high school students.

"In these last few years we've been tracking our alumni and
this service culture has traveled with them. Many of them can no
longer live without contributing in some way to the community
they live in," Salomon said proudly.

As another illustration of its unwavering commitment and
concern for the OMCF children, the TAA has set up an endowment
that it hopes can be used to run the OMC Houses in the event the
former is unable to continue its financial support.

"If we are not in the country or the situation changes, these
funds will keep the three houses going," said Salomon.