Soeharto leads foster parent drive

Soeharto leads foster parent drive

DEMAK, Central Java (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated the
National Foster Parents Movement yesterday by pledging to take
care of 100,000 children who need financial assistance to send
them to school.

The President challenged the nation to fund the other 300,000
children who are in desperate needs of financing.

"Surely we can get 400,000 (under the program). Surely there
are people and organizations who can foster them," he said during
a meeting explaining the new national drive.

The campaign is closely tied to the government's nine-year
compulsory education program which was launched two years ago to
send all children between the ages of seven and 15 to school.

Soeharto said that there are currently about six million
children who cannot attend school because they are too poor. Of
these, 400,000 must be immediately cared for, he said.

"Given that education is the responsibility of the family,
society and the government, we need to mobilize a feeling of
solidarity and encourage people to lend a hand to some of these
underprivileged children," he said in his speech.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to once again knock on your
hearts to become foster parents and set aside some of your income
to help with the education of lesser fortunate children," he
said.

He later explained that two charity foundations which he
chairs, the Supersemar and Dharmais, have already committed
themselves to fostering 60,000 children.

"Now, I will raise that to 100,000. That leaves 300,000 for
others to take up." (har/emb)