Unicef gives $90 million for Aceh and Nias schools
Unicef gives $90 million for Aceh and Nias schools
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has handed over US$90
million in financial aid to build 300 new elementary schools and
repair 200 damaged school buildings in disaster-devastated Aceh
province and Nias Island, North Sumatra.
The Director General of Elementary and Intermediate Education
at the education ministry, Indra Jati Sidi, said on Wednesday the
donation was made in a recent meeting between the education
office heads in Aceh and Nias, and the Unicef representative.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Asian
Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, World Bank, United
Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Asia Foundation,
Save the Children, Indosat, Coca-Cola, Sampoerna Foundation and
Astra Honda Motor.
"Of the $90-million donation, $80 million will be spent to
construct 300 new elementary schools and $10 million to repair
some 200 damaged school buildings. The reconstruction projects
will start in June and are expected to be completed in 2007,"
Indra said.
He said the education ministry, which is managing the funds
and supervising the projects, would accommodate the donor's
wishes to construct school buildings that were earthquake
resistant, comfortable and environmentally friendly.
Indra said his office would produce a complete data base on
the reconstruction projects in the education sector to ensure an
even distribution of the financial aid.
The fund was part of Unicef's commitment to help tens of
thousands of children affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh and
the March 26 earthquake in Nias. Many of them have been separated
from their families.
Unicef is also working with the Ministry of Social Affairs and
the Office of the State Minister for Women's Empowerment to
assist these children.
Besides other international financial institutions, the German
Development Bank (KfW) and the German Agency for Technical
Cooperation (GTZ) have also signed a memorandum of understanding
with the Ministry of National Education on a 23 million euro
(US$30 million) grant facility to help rebuild vocational schools
in affected areas.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), in cooperation with the North Sumatra provincial
administration, launched a new local governance support program
(LGSP) to ensure good governance and capacity building in Aceh.
The U.S. Embassy said in a press release on Wednesday that
LGSP was providing $58 million in capacity-building assistance to
more than 100 regental and municipal administrations and local
non-governmental organizations in the province.
It said the USAID was also carrying out a similar program in
six other provinces, including West Sumatra, Banten, West Java
and South Sulawesi, to increase the capacity of local
administrations to administer, legislate, budget and deliver
services to the public.