Japanese-built school opens for kids with disabilities

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang 

The sounds of laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air at the new school building for children with disabilities in Tangerang on Tuesday. 

The students, most of whom are from low-income families, knew something different was going on because the campus of SLB Yanaiz had been decked out for the building's inauguration ceremony.

 

 

SIMPLE GESTURE: Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kojiro Shiojiri shakes hands with a student of SLB Yanaiz, a school for disabled children and adults in Tangerang, as school founder Izak Timisela (center) looks on. The school’s new building was inaugurated Tuesday. (JP/Mult Fidrus) 

Japanese Ambassador Kojiro Shiojiri presided over the ceremony at the campus on Jl. H. Ridwan, Bojong Poncol kampung in Pinang district, Tangerang municipality. 

Tangerang officials also attended the event. 

According to Shiojiri, the Japanese government had financed the construction project of the school under the Grassroots Program. The financial assistance amounted to US$85,994, he said. 

"We want children with disabilities to be able to study at this school," he said. 

Twenty-year-old Khalid, a fourth grader in a class for people with autism, said the new school building was closer to his home. 

"I love the new classroom," Khalid said, who is suffering from hydrochepalus and needs regular medicine to control its symptoms. 

The school's 123 students pay school fees of between Rp 5,000 (40 US cents) and Rp 10,000 each month. 

"The most important thing is that I pay (school fees), no matter how much it is. The money is for the teachers' salaries," Khalid said. 

SLB Yanaiz is managed by Erihatu Samasuru Lesuri Tapirone, a humanitarian foundation established by Izak Timisela in 2000. 

"We started the school in a small rented house and now we have a three-story building with 12 classrooms, a health clinic, a kitchen, a teacher's office and a meeting hall, thanks to the Japanese government," he said. 

Unfortunately, the classrooms have yet to receive new furniture so the students and teachers still use old desks and chairs. Some of the desktops even have holes in them.

Developer keeps classrooms locked over debt

Theresia Sufa,  The Jakarta Post, Bogor 

For the past year Nurlia and her classmates have had to sit on the floor of their school corridor, bending down for almost the whole school day from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

"It hurts my back and stomach because I often get cold," said the third grader at state elementary school SDN Cilubang 06 in Dramaga, Bogor. 

LEAN ON: Third grade teacher Ujang Suyana teaches his class in the corridor of state elementary school SDN Cilubang 06 on Wednesday. Developers have locked the school’s newly built classrooms because the school cannot afford to pay for them. (JP/Theresia Sufa)

"When I get home my mother always bathes me in cajuput oil to relieve me from the pain." 

Third, fourth and fifth graders at the school have to study outdoors because the new buildings, which are supposed to be their classrooms, have been locked by the developer. 

"We don't have the money to pay for the classrooms," school teacher Madrohi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. 

He said the school was in debt from the construction of the new classrooms. 

The project started in May 2007 and was funded by the West Java administration. The Rp 120 million (US$10,909) fund was disbursed in August last year and was received by headmaster Fatimah in cash. 

The handover of the money was witnessed by the school committee and an official from Dramaga district administration, Rosadi. The teachers, according to Madrohi, were not informed about the fund. 

The construction had been going for six months when the workers stopped. 

"The school committee reported that the developer didn't receive all the money intended for the construction," Madrohi said. 

Rosadi found another developer to complete the project in September. The developer, however, is withholding the new classrooms until the school pays Rp 73 million for the work. 

"The developer threatened to dismantle the classrooms," Madrohi said. 

"We reported the case to the education agency and during the meeting with the school headmaster, Rosadi said he had stolen the fund. He was given window time to pay up what he had taken, but he hasn't shown up at the office. 

"Headmaster Fatimah retired three months ago, so it's us, the teachers and the 121 students, who have to bear the consequences," Madrohi said. 

In addition to lacking three functional classrooms, the school doesn't have a lavatory, he said.

Mayors agree to safeguard, protect cultural properties

Sri Wahyuni and Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta

Mayors of the 37 participating member cities in the Euro-Asia Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) agreed Tuesday to emphasize the need to safeguard and protect cultural properties and develop a harmonious lifestyle.

Reading out a declaration at the closing ceremony of the two-day WHC conference here, host Surakarta Mayor Joko Widodo said doing so would give the cities a distinct image and encourage a vibrant cultural lifestyle at various levels of community.

"A clear policy, strategy and implementation program needs to be developed in each city," read Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi.

The Solo Declaration, named after Surakarta's alternate name, underscored that outstanding cultural works of the past be maintained and preserved so current and future generations could learn, understand and enjoy the wisdom and experience of the past.

"Cultural heritage produces inspiration and motivation as well as economic potential and input for further cultural development," the nine-point declaration stated.

Representatives of participating cities also highlighted in the declaration the importance of local, national, regional and international efforts to protect, preserve and revitalize traditional culture and knowledge.

The conference, attended by some 450 delegates, acknowledged cultural diversity and multicultural understanding was a basic foundation on which to build a harmonious world.

The understanding and appreciation of the world's rich and diverse cultural heritage can contribute to multicultural understanding and friendship across regions and countries, the conference agreed.

Also in attendance Tuesday were OWHC Secretary-General Denis Richard, OWHC Coordinator of Euro-Asia Secretariat Ressikh Sagitov and chairman of the Indonesian Heritage Trust Setyanto P. Santosa.

The conference was part of a six-day WHC conference and expo held from Saturday to Thursday, which also presented a series of workshops on wayang (Javanese shadow puppets), keris (traditional double-edged daggers), gamelan (traditional Javanese percussion ensemble) and batik.

Speaking at a joint press conference held after the closing ceremony, Setyanto, also a member of the conference's organizing committee, said the declaration was the beginning of a long struggle to preserve heritage in Indonesia, following its signing by government officials.

"What we have witnessed so far here in the country is that local administrations are the main perpetrators in the destruction of our heritage," Setyanto said.

He added many administrations had turned heritage buildings and sites into modern shopping malls in their bids to attract more visitors and hence more money.

"They forget that malls abroad are much bigger and more attractive," Setyanto said.

Jokowi expressed similar sentiments, saying the declaration held strategic values of promoting Indonesian cities as new tourism destinations.

INDONESIA: Multi Donor Fund Photo Competition

Worldbank

The Multi Donor Fund is again holding a photo competition as an effort to involve partner and implementing agencies staff and consultants, staff of all donor agencies, and beneficiaries in capturing implementation of MDF’s projects. Participants will compete for prizes and a chance to have photos featured in the 2008 Annual Report and other collateral materials. 

Theme: Capacity Building in the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Efforts 

We strongly encourage staff of World Bank, donor agencies and partners, from amateur to expert photographers, to submit photos. Take advantage of photo opportunities while being on-the-field or traveling for a chance to see your photo in the Annual Report. If not, sponsor colleagues, friends or relatives and share the prize! 

List of prizes: 

• 1st place prize : Rp. 3,000,000
  
• 2nd place prize : Rp. 2,500,000
  
• 3rd place prize : Rp. 2,000,000
  
• Favorite photo   : Rp. 1,000,000
• Other photos selected for publication: Rp. 500,000 each 
  
  
  

How to participate, you can visit this following links to learn more about the competition:

• Rules of competition
  
• Download entry form
  
• Photography tips 
  
  
  

We also welcome sequences of related pictures - do not be afraid to take multiple shots of your subject from different angles and in different lighting conditions! Please note though, sequences should show interaction or process related to capacity building. 

To learn more about MDF projects please visit: http://www.multidonorfund.org/projects

Ternate`s Orange fort soon to be renovated

Ternate, (ANTARA News) - The Orange Fort, a colonial heritage in Ternate, North Maluku (Moluccas) would soon be renovated with Rp2 billion fund taken from the 2008 state budget as it seemed to be neglected. 

"The Orange Fort will soon be renovated. The Rp2 billion fund from the central government is now in a tendered contract process," the Chief of Ternate`s tourism and cultural office, Arifin Umangsaji, said here Sunday. 

The Orange Fort was built in the 16th century by the Dutch government when they colonized Ternate. In Ternate, similar forts were also built by Portugal and Spain during their ruling times. 

Arifin said the Orange Fort renovation would raise its function for scientific needs and tourist attraction in the area. 

The Orange Fort is located in the center of Ternate city, and has become the center of attention of many people due to the concerning condition of the valuable historical heritage. 

Meanwhile, a Ternate history observer, Djafar Noho S.pd, wished that the Fort`s renovation should be done precisely to keep its originality as a historical relic. 

Contractors should involve experts dealing with historical renovation and consult with Ternate`s royal family who knows the fort very well. 

"I hope the renovation deviation case in Kastela fort several years ago will not recur on the Orange Fort. This has to be the contractor`s attention and everyone relevant to this renovation project," he said.

Indonesia to learn Germany`s water management

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The head of a study on water resources and research on technology application by the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Indonesia needs to learn German water management which uses a lot of Natural Treatment Plants.

 

"Natural treatment plants are needed for development, which is commonly applied in Germany," he said in a seminar on 10 million new clean water lines in 2013 here Wednesday.

 

He said the natural treatment plants is a concept of taking water from underground sources.

 

The concept is commonly applied in Germany where 65 percent of basic water sources is the ground, 9 percent springs, 5 percent wells and 21 percent of the ground surface like lakes and rivers.

 

"Most of Germans don`t have water purifier installations because drinking water is obtained from springs and the ground on mountain slopes," he said.

 

He also mentioned that some German drinking water companies has a strict policy by forbidding farmers to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

 

No chemicals and distribution pumps are needed because they are mostly located on mountains, Sutopo said.