Jakarta (Bisnis Indonesia: (12/02/07)Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the government is planning to move some 70,000 families from the riverbanks of Ciliwung and other rivers to the low-cost apartments that will be built soon. “This is a matter of humanity. Reports from Jakarta governor revealed there are around 70,000 families living along the riverbanks. We will move them to apartments,” said the vice president after he chair a limited cabinet meeting on flood prevention over the week-end. 

According to the vice president, the government needs around Rp500 billion for the program. The construction of low-cost apartments along the riverbank is part of the government’s project to build 1000 towers of apartments. “However, we have to build the apartments first before relocating the people.  It is impossible to relocate them now,” he said. Previously, the government has launched the 1,000 towers project to be constructed in several big cities across the country. The government will appoint private companies to carry out the construction work.

The government will provide the land or handle the land acquisition; while the private parties will handle the construction. This program is aimed at resolving housing issues for people from the lower income brackets in big cities across the country. So far, the project has not been carried out yet because the private parties are still negotiating incentives from the government in taxation, land price and other facilities.

Alternative Education

Meanwhile, Sampoerna Foundation (SF) is currently running an alternative education for children suffering from the flood. SF has run similar activities in post-Tsunami Aceh and in Yogyakarta and Central Java in the aftermath of the earthquake. Sampoerna Foundation’s Media Relation, Citra Lestari, said this activity is aimed at entertaining the children and to give them activities in Sampoerna Foundation’s posts.

The fun-learning method is run in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The education provided here is different to those run at formal schools.“Here, the children are introduced to environment education through various entertaining games. This could hopefully help them overcome their trauma due to the severe flood that swept their houses," She said in Tangerang over the week-end. Sampoerna Foundation’s post also offer public kitchen and education in several areas such as in  Ciledug, Kampung Melayu, run in cooperation with the Bisnis Indonesia Readers’ Humanitarian Funds (DKPBI), Indonesia Peduli, Elshinta Peduli, and the WWF Indonesia. So far, children around Pinang Raya area in Ciledug have not returned to school because their schools are still dirty and damaged by the floodwaters.

WWF Environmental Education Officer Rini Ratna Adriani added that by using story books and crayons, facilitators from the WWF are asking students to play and to draw to learn more and to be friendly with their environment. In separate place, PT Semen Gresik Tbk is working together with the Mapala environmental group of the University of Indonesia to run a Health post at the B5 Street RT 10/13 in Teluk Gong area in North Jakarta. The location was chosen because the victims of the flood in this area still have not received any appropriate assistance.

Three medical workers from the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and the Medical Faculty of the University of Indonesia run the health post of Semen Gresik-Mapala UI.
Aside of free treatment, Semen Gresik also set up a post in Jl. Panjang no. 88 in West Jakarta. Until yesterday, this post has distributed 2,000 package of staple food for the flood victims in Pesing-Kedoya, Rawa Buaya, Cileduk and North Sukabumi Utara.