Schoolchildren get cash to buy food

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will provide funds for the purchase of nutritious foods to 38,000 Jakarta elementary school students living below the poverty line.

Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Djailani said on Monday that the fund, due to start next month, was part of the authorities' campaign for poverty eradication.

He said that under the program, overseen by the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), each child would receive Rp 500 daily to enable them to buy additional food in their schools. The program will last 108 days.

"We will give priority to needy children from very poor families," he said.

Bappeda's deputy chairman Irzal Z. Djamal said that the program would cost some Rp 2.052 billion to be taken from the 1998/1999 city budget and the state budget.

Irzal said the money would be distributed through members of Family Welfare Movement (PKK). (ivy)