World Vision reaches remote regions

World Vision reaches remote regions

JAKARTA (JP): World Vision International (WVI) was established
in 1950 by Dr. Bob Pierce to help children victims of the 1950-53
Korean war.

The Christian-affiliated organization, which has its
headquarters in Washington, started operation in Indonesia in
1960 to help the country's orphans and orphanages.

Working jointly with more than 130 local non-governmental
organizations, WVI has implemented about 300 various sponsorship
and community development projects involving more than US$7
million in funds in 22 of the country's 27 provinces.

WVI's projects include the foster-parents program, education
and health sponsorship, community-based health programs,
community welfare and development programs.

WVI also has a project called Women and Their Children's
Health (WATCH) in Wamena, Irian Jaya, which is funded by the
Australian government.

Widyastuti Wibisana, director of community participation of
the Ministry of Health, said the women in Irian Jaya acted as
housewives and income-earners.

Since most of the population was illiterate, WATCH's officials
provided the information visually.

"Many women cried when they saw a picture of a woman carrying
a baby on her back along with a pig and vegetables while holding
her other two children's hands as her husband walked leisurely in
front of her," Wibisana said.

She said many Irianese men have lost their identity since the
authorities forbad them from inter-tribe fighting.

To overcome the condition, the WATCH project started to teach
the men how to raise chicken and fish.

"They have to take care of their cattle, but the men also have
started to help their wives with household chores," she said.

Wibisana said each project, either in Sanggau or Wamena, is
unique because of geographical as well as cultural differences.

In Sanggau, the main problem is poor child nutrition, which
stems from the fact that most parents are working.

"In Wamena, the gender issue is the main problem," she added.

The communities in both areas are improving because the
project emphasizes their involvement and the sustainability of
the project.

Andrew Newmarch, WVI's project officer for international
programs, said that WVI is going to start a new project at Alor,
East Nusa Tenggara, hopefully next December.

The community in Alor has to overcome the difficulties in
getting clean water. "The situation is totally different with
Sanggau or Wamena," he said.

Moreover, in Alor there are still many malaria cases. The main
point of the new project is to have malaria control in the area.

"It's impossible to eradicate the disease," he said, "The more
important thing is to avoid being bitten by the malaria
mosquitoes."

The Alor project will take place in three sub-districts.

"We won't start the project in the whole area at the same
time," he said.

The project will be started in five villages and then continue
to another five until it covers all the areas in the three sub-
districts.

"We hope that the project will help the Alor villagers to
defeat their health problem. (05)