Kuli Dollar sponsored children program

Kuli Dollar is a mailing list of group of Indonesians who reside in Washington D.C. metro area. For the past year, they started sponsoring disadvantaged children in Jakarta area, through their program called Senyum Sedolar (means smile with a dollar: encouraging each member to contribute $1).

Tenri Parani, the most active member and initiator of this informal organization, asked us to visit the children they have been sponsoring for the past year under the Kuli Dollar sponsored children program (the program initiated by Mbak Nurul Fatiyah) when he learned of our trip to Jakarta. They are sending their donation through the help of a local partner, an organization called Al-Mustadha'afiin.

Tenri asked us to deliver a total of $1,700 contribution from Kuli Dollar. The breakdown is the following:

* A total of $1,500 earmarked for Jogjakarta was given to Ibu Ayat (Al-Mustadha'afiin). She also has some programs helping the earthquake victims.

* A total of $100 was used to buy bags for the children (we ourselves contributed another $50 for the bags purchase).

* A total of $100 we allocated for the Jogjakarta housing program (please see my report "Temporary Houses for Bantul Residence - 3rd day" (July 1, 06)).

***

My husband Arif Mustofa and I visited two sites of Kuli Dollar sponsored children. One of the place was located near Cipinang garbage disposal area.



Picture: my husband Arif (wearing light blue T-shirt) spoke with the disadvantaged children, and gave them encouragement to stay in school. The children can't afford a merely Rp 40,000 monthly tuition (equivalent to $5/month).

We first met the children, talked to them and answered any questions they may have, and after that, we visited the place they lived.

We can't call their houses permanent. The buildings were only about 6 feet tall, with tiny door and windows. The houses were attached to each other. Each of them contain only 2 rooms of about 4 feet by 4 feet each room, The outer room functions as their living room, while the inner room are their bedroom (all members of family: parents and cildren). No bathrooms are to be found in the buildings. They go to public bathrooms located in the center of the complex. It cost Rp 300 to use the bathroom. Their condition wrer so poor. As we walked through the location of the garbage disposal, we can find that some of the semi permanent houses were built on top of those garbages. The children sponsored by Kuli Dollar live in this very place. Some of them (about 15 out of the 30 children) are orphans. Their mothers work as clothes washer with barely enough to afford for food.

At the end of the meeting, we distributed school bags for those children. The bags were quality bags but affordable. We bought at Cempaka Mas, a wholesale mall. They were very happy as you can see from the pictures.

Kuli Dollar members- just to let you know that your initiatives are so wonderful. Each and everyone of you makes a difference in the lives of these children. You are giving them opportunity and the hope for a better future.

Bless each and everyone of you. My husband and I were very lucky to have had a chance to meet them on behalf of you, and chatted with those children.


Ina Nasution

School bags for the children

Picture: The children looked so happy for the gift (bags) we brought them. Imagine that to some of them this was his/her first school bag ever.

We bought the 60 bags from the donation given by Kuli Dollar.

I also introduced my son Akmal (the little boy wearing black T-shirt) and my nephew Arshad (the little boy with the red pants) to Kuli Dollar sponsored children.

Temporary houses for Bantul residence - the 3rd day

Temporary house for Mbah Sukiman


Picture: here is the temporary house for Mbah Sukiman in the third day of construction.

We spent three days in Jogjakarta. When we left Jogjakarta, the constructions of the temporary houses are in progress. Some of the houses are in pieces, some of them have been used already. The temporary houses concept are suitable for Jogjakarta residents who are still hesitant to stay inside their house. They rather camp outside their houses as they still fear for more earthquakes. These temporary houses are not only economical, practical, but they are also earthquake proof, perfect for Jogjakarta and Bantul residence.

We are very pleased to learn that with less than $2,300, we are able to help house 15 families in Bantul area. This donation stretches a long way.


Ina Nasution

Temporary house for Mbah Biyo

Picture: here is the house for Mbah Biyo. Almost ready to use by the 3rd day of construction. We are pleased to learn that Dompet Dhuafa used local carpenters to build these temporary houses.

Temporary house for Mbah Pawiro/Parjiyem

Picture: here is the temporary house of Mbah Pawiro/Parjiyem, victims of Jogjakarta earthquake. With the funds we received from Washington area donors, we built this temporary house for Mbah Pawiro/Parjiyem.

Temporary house for Mbah Karjo/Tuminem

Picture: Here is the temporary house for this elderly couple victims of the earthquake. Dompet Dhuafa with its expertise provided fast & ready made temporary house in 3 days! Donors from Washington DC area / Hope 4 Our Children helped Mbah Karjo/Tuminem, the earthquake victims in Bantul, Jogjakarta.

Trip to Jogjakarta

After my visit to Aceh, I began another journey to Jogjakarta, a place recently hit by an earthquake. The earthquaked claimed thousands of lives and wounded ten thousands more.

I visited Jogjakarta with my husband Arif and my son Akmal. They came because we also planned to visit my husband's extended family, who live in Klaten. Their houses were shaken by the earthquake. One of his distant family suffered a back injury that paralized her.

We began our journey by visiting a Junior High School in Bantul, a place most hardly hit by the earthquake. Dompet Dhuafa, Hope 4 Our Children's local partner in Aceh project, accompanied us. Dompet Dhuafa is a local organization that has allocated about Rp 3 billion (or about $300,000) for victims' basic needs in eight locations in Jogjakarta. According to one Dompet Dhuafa's representative, Arif Abdulllah, most of the victims' basic needs have been provided by donation from both international and local donors (as well as from the government). They still need help in the recovery process. One of the efforts done by Dompet Dhuafa is providing tents as temporary classroom in SMP Bambanglipuro (Bambanglipuro HS). They were meeting with the principal, teachers as well as the head of Kampong (village) who informed the students'data and copies of their ID cards.

It was fortunate that the earthquake did not happen during school hours, one of the teachers stated. Otherwise there would have been more victims.

The ceilings in classrooms were completely destroyed; some of them are covered with glass, now scattered all over the place.

Photo destruction in a classroom in Bantul

Temporary school project called Sekolah Ceria

We continued our tour by visiting a camp served as temporary classroom for elementary school children in Bantul. Their school was completely destroyed. It will take months before they can use their classrooms. A psychologist from Dompet Dhuafa is conducting psychosocial interventions toward the children to help treat them recover from trauma. They play, sang and learn together. The students are provided lunch everyday. This program called Sekolah Ceria is supported by college students served as volunteers. (Dompet Dhuafa has a separate scholarship program for college students. These students were coordinated as volunteers to help assist these temporary classrooms.) There are 12 tent classes conducted simultaneously all over Jogjakarta.

Hope 4 Our Children provides some of its funds to support the implementation of one temporary class in Bantul area.

Picture: temporary class Sekolah Ceria.

Sekolah Ceria

Picture: one of volunteer teacher at temporary class Sekolah Ceria and the children attending Sekolah Ceria.

Temporary house for Mbah Dakir

Picture: here is a house for Mbah Dakir, who was a victim of Jogjkarta earthquake.



Ina Nasution

A school in Bantul

The banner hanging at an elementary school in Bantul "Now accepting new students".

One of my husband's extended family - a survivor

My husband Arif's extended family originated from Klaten, 20 kilometers from Jogjakarta. One of his mother's cousins was a survivor. She suffered a broken back bone, and is still in intensive care unit at Assyafiah Hospital in Bantul. We visited her at the hospital. She still looks very weak. Thankfully her friend is one of the doctors at this hospital. We are hoping she will receive treatments she needs to help her recover. Her house is ground zero, debris were the only thing that remained. Out of respect and privacy, my husband advised me not to take her picture.

A child victim

Indra Sulaiman, a six-year old boy, was at home with his dad when the earthquake happened. A column feel on his thigh. It was broken. Fortunately within a couple of days, he was helped by a medic team from Russia. They installed a disk in his thigh. He still has not fully recovered. However he has been so eager to go back to school; he has been watching his friends from the temporary class Sekolah Ceria learn.

(I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to bring my son Akmal along to visit the destroyed areas as well as to visit the victims. I hope this experience helps shape his views to feel compassionate to less fortunate people. I asked him to talk and chat with Indra.)

Picture: my son Akmal in temporary classroom, in Bantul.

Temporary housing for widows in Bantul

My husband and I received funds from Washington area donors as well as from Hope 4 Our Children, for a total of about $2,300 (note: out of this $2,300, a total of $1,000 was from a donor at MCC, Maryland). We decided to allocate 100% of the funds for construction of 15 houses for the earthquake victims (and the remaining amount for one temporary class Sekolah Ceria). Through the help and expertise of Dompet Dhuafa, who identified the location of people who needed the most help: the earthquake victims in Kadirojo village, Bantul.



Picture: widows victims of earthquake spoke with Dompet Dhuafa representatives and my husband (in blue shirt).

The funds will be allocated to build temporary houses for those victims. The cost of construction is about Rp 1.2 million or about $145. The size is about 4 meters X 5 meters, located in front of their destroyed houses. The houses will be built by local carpenters, employing earthquake survivors who have relevant skills.

Dompet Dhuafa representatives, Arif Abdullah and Putra, along with my husband Arif Mustofa, spoke in front of the victims, all of them are widows. They are still struggling to make ends meet. There were 15 families helped by this amount. They were very pleased to learn that their -temporary- houses will be built.

One of the victims with her children

Picture: one of the victims to be helped by the funds from Washington area donors/Hope 4 Our Children. Background is their destroyed house.

A victim with two broken legs

Picture: here is one of the victims' daughter (who suffered broken legs). We will help this family by building a temporary house for them.

Helping mbah Purwo

Picture: here is Mbah Purwo in front of her -used to be- house. We will build a temporary house for her.



Ina Nasution