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)