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.