NEVER GIVE MONEY TO THEM

You might have seen many street children around. Especially in big cities such as Jakarta. And you feel that you should do something about it.

If you want to help these children build their dreams... to become someone... someday...
NEVER GIVE MONEY TO THEM !! It may sound horrible... but believe me... it is for their own good.

By giving money to these children directly on the streets, or whenever they beg for money... it just means you are helping them to ruin their future... you are only keeping them on the streets.
It is YOU, who keep giving money to them, who will create more and more street children !! These children will continue doing whatever they are doing right now on the streets. Begging, street singing, drugging, then stealing... robbing... and who knows what ...!! Because that is the easiest way to get money from. YOU are providing it to them... YOU are pushing them to the streets...

Are you really helping them ??? NOT AT ALL... In fact, you are so irresponsible !!

So.. how can you help ? How can you contribute ? And how can we make a difference ?

1. You can directly be involved in social activities... or create your own social activity in your neighborhood. Just look closely around you... you will find something to do for the lesser.
2. You can join a social organization as a volunteer, helping the children with their schoolwork, giving some educational activities to motivate them, helping the parents to understand better living skills
3. You can give contribution directly to the children, in the form of school textbooks, story books, educational materials, or educational toys.
4. Never spoil them with "one-shot" gifts, especially things that are way unaffordable to them.
5. Never give money to them!! Give solutions !!

Join ISCO Children Activity Center as our volunteers... Help the children pursue their dreams... Or help create dreams for them... !! Share your dreams with them... !!

Video by : edisonmanik

Find more videos like this on video.filestube.com.

I am so glad I can go to school... (better late than never !)

Sunita could not hide her happiness...
She had a very big smile when she was told that she could attend school immediately. She was already in the age of 9 when she started 1st grade primary school last year. But that had never made her ashamed or embarrased. She was so determined to go to school... just like other children.

Today, this sweet little girl is already in her 2nd grade, SD 08 Rawa Kramat, Duri Kosambi. She loves school, and she does very well in all her school work, despite all the limitations. In fact she has always been top of her class.

Nita lives with her family in a hut made of carton paper, on a piece of land they never knew of the owner, in Duri Kosambi area. She has 2 siblings , all living in the same hut. Nita's parents work as scavenegers, with very uncertain income. They live without electricity nor clean water.

It is so ironic looking at their living condition, right in the middle of the capital city of Jakarta, a modern metropolitan city. During her free time, Nita helps her parents collecting used Aqua plastic bottles and glasses. Nita was very well aware of her family situation. But she manages to make time to study, help her parents, and play with her school friends.

We can learn a lot from her... Her learning spirit, her cheerfulness, her willingness to help out her parents, her time management, her self confidence, her determination to pursue her dream...

ISCO will always support her....!!

ISCO SPONSORED AREAS

Through a network of field teams located in some of the worst affected neighborhoods of Indonesia’s cities, ISCO strives to help marginal communities, those who live in poverty, and those who are most deeply suffering due to the ongoing crisis. ISCO’s particular focus is the children of these families, who face serious obstacles in their struggle to achieve the productive futures that are accepted as normal by most middle class families. ISCO believes that all children deserve the chance to achieve their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens and leaders of Indonesia.

ISCO currently sponsors children from 24 selected slum areas, 15 in Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek area), 7 in Surabaya areas, and 2 in Medan areas.

What we mean by "selected"? Well, with limited resources that we have, financially as well as human resource wise, we want to make sure that we target the right communities, and that we will work effectively and efficiently as possible. We work systematically to achieve our targets.... which is to provide access to free education to as many Indonesian underprivileged children as possible.

Our Field Officers will search for target sponsored areas, categorized as the followings :

• slum and urban areas
• approximate population of 1,000 families within the area
• potential street children, neglected children and/or potential child labor
• income level of below Rp 500.000/month for family with more than 2 children

We provide educational supports to these families, by giving the parents guidance to better living, better family planning, better education for their children, better place to play and study, better understanding of health and cleanliness, and better chance to brighter future for their children and family.

Today, we have almost 2,000 children sponsored from the following areas :

Greater Jakarta:

• Cipinang Besar Selata, East Jakarta
• Manggarai, South Jakarta
• Guji Baru, Kebon Jeru, West Jakarta
• Lio, Depok
• Tanah Merah, Semper, North Jakarta
  
• Duri Kosambi, Tangerang
  
• Kebon Melati, Central Jakarta
• Pademangan, North Jakarta
  
• Kali Baru, North Jakarta
  
• Penjaringan, North Jakarta
• Mangga Dua, North Jakarta
  
• Pesing, West Jakarta
• Tanah Rendah, South Jakarta
• Kampung Mangga, Semper, North Jakarta
• Semanan, Tangerang
• Kebon Jahe, Kapuk, West Jakarta

Surabaya:

• Kapasari, Cental Surabaya
  
• Pabean, North Surabaya
  
• Gading, Central Surabaya
  
• Moro Krembangan, Central Surabaya
• Ujung, Central Surabaya
  
• Sidodadi, Central Surabaya
• Perak Timur, North Surabaya
  

Medan :

• Polonia
• Belawan

ISCO works together with local school authorities and formal and informal community leaders to identify the most needy families, to arrange for the children to attend public school, to support them and their families in many practical ways and to make sure that these children will not become street-children or child laborers, and to help them learn to create their own dreams.

Look around you.... with open heart

Estimates of the number of street children in Indonesia vary dramatically. But, surely they are in the tens of thousands and their lives on the streets are surely not easy.
On the streets, they are subject to new threats of abuse and exploitation. Each day the youth run the risk of being hit by cars or motorcycles; being robbed; or even being arrested or jailed. And these happen around us.... probably just around the corner from where we live, we work or we do our activities.

Sometimes we see things just with our eyes... and what do we see ? Things, materials, wealth....
Maybe we should try to see things with our heart.... then we can see : feelings, passion, sadness, hope, and love.....

There are so many ways we can make a difference to this world. Just look around you... with open heart !!

Thank you Kanako Nakajima, for sharing this video to us all.

ISCO ANNUAL CHILDREN GATHERING

Every year, usually in July, ISCO holds its annual children gathering. All sponsored children are brought together to meet in a public place, where we all share happy moments with the staffs, tutors, volunteers, donors... and just everybody who wants to spend time together with the children. We have all kinds of activities, games, children performances, plays, singing and dancing....


This year ISCO Annual Gathering was held in Ragunan Zoo. We were lucky to have HESS and CARREFOUR sponsoring the event, so we could have quite a big and fun event, with lots of presents and prizes for the children, especially those with good school performances.


Great to see these happy faces... !!
Great to see these children holding on to their dreams... !!