Hundreds Children’s Dreams Written on the Tree of Dreams

-->Jakarta, July 11th 2009 - Indonesian Street Children Organization (ISCO) in cooperation with PT Hutchison CP Telecommunications and a number of other supporting sponsors will celebrate in Jakarta with 800 underpriviledged Children, 10 years ISCO – 1000 dreams come true” at Museum Keprajuritan – Taman Mini Indonesia Indah from 09:30 am until 04:00 pm.

ISCO Foundation is a social organization with the vision ”to give equal chance to every child in Indonesia” Currently ISCO is supporting urban underpriviledged children’s education in Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan at a number of 1.725 children in 2008-2009 and will reach 2.200 children in July 2009, with the target to grow up to 200.000 children in the next 10 years.

ISCO Foundation, concerned with underpriviledged children’s fate is trying to make unfortunate children’s dreams comes true to get proper and future leading education. ISCO's 10 year celebrations are in near coincidence with the World Children's Day on July 23rd 2009. ISCO is a Non Government Organization that was founded during the period of Indonesia's economic downturn in 1999 by two Eureopean expats living in Jakarta. We celebrate with 800 children from 17 areas of Jakarta in Museum Keprajuritan, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.

“According to the Indonesian Statistics Bureau, the amount of poor people population has increased to 41.2 million people in 2008. The lack of basic needs, price inflation and the instability of global economy are the main drivers of this dramatic increase in Indonesia. Ironically, children are the most impacted, whereas so many of them have to live and grow up the hard way on the street without having proper education. The event will feature children’s yell-yell competition for every ISCO area, the children will put their dreams in the tree of dreams and a number of traditional games will roll out during the event.” said Ramida Siringo-ringo, Executive Director of ISCO.

“Without any formal education since early age, these poor children often get carried away into a criminal world. They do not have the courage to have dreams and desire to become a doctor, an engineer, a teacher or any other proper profession, and that is where ISCO steps in to help, We hope that this 10 years birthday of ISCO will boost the Foundation's future growth to reach the ambigous target of 200.000 children within the coming 10 years.” commented an ISCO social worker.

ISCO's social programs are currently supported by a number of national and international supporters, among them are Hutchison 3, Carrefour International Foundation, HESS Indonesia and others.”

The purpose of ISCO Foundation’s program is to give urban poor children the access to their learning rights, to minimize the children’s time to interact with negative sources or to work on the street. Children’s nutrition- and regular feeding program, additional to their education, is in accordance with Hutchison 3 CSR Program for education. This is what has united the ISCO Foundation with us” stated Janti Wignjopranoto, Human Resources Director PT Hutchison CP Telecommunications.

ISCO Annual Gathering 2009 are supported by: PT Hutchison CP Telecommunications, Andritz Hydro, Coca Cola Refreshzone, Carrefour, Hess, Indofood, Infracell, JW Marriot, Kemang Colonie, Kiehl's, Lufthansa, Mercedes Benz, Navigat Energy, RRI, Pro 2 FM, Siemens, Smart FM, South Pasific Viscose,Sud-Chemie, Waagner Biro, Zink Power Austrindo, and MMS Dream Team.

Surabaya Annual Gathering: Hoping for Future President 2009-2014

Surabaya, July 2, 2009.
More than 500 ISCO Sponsored children celebrated the 10th year ISCO journey in realizing the children dreams to come true through education. These children can now dare enough to dream about their future president as well as about their own futures. Thanks to the education they have received.

ISCO is a social organization working to give equal chance to every child in Indonesia especially in education. By 2009, ISCO has already been helping about 2,000 children in Medan, Jakarta and Surabaya. In Surabaya itself, ISCO helps more than 500 children in Genteng, Sidodadi, Pabean, Perak Timur, Gading, Morokrembangan, and Ujung.

In this annual gathering to celebrate the 10th year ISCO's dreams come true, ISCO sponsored children did art performances: role-playing jobs around their homes, role-playing their own dreams; writing their dreams, playing traditional games, and having more fun.

ISCO are thankful for many generous parties who are more than eager to help these children to reach their future. ISCO conveys special thanks to : Hutchison-3 who has given full supports for this event, Hess and Carrefour who have been consistently supporting more than 500 children in Surabaya over the last years. Our highest appreciation also to Carrefour who had distributed bags for those children with high school achievements in order to motivate them to maintain their good works, to Big Bird who generously had picked up ISCO children from their slum houses to the Taman Flora -where this event took place, Indofood who had given nutritious milk to the children, JW Marriot who had sent their chef to serve delicious lunch for the guests, and all the teachers from the schools who had taught these children wholeheartedly, and many more supporting parties.

ISCO is very delighted to see that many people and companies care to see these children receive proper education and have wonderful future. Together, we can make these children dreams come true!

3 Outstanding Children Films

Wow.... it was really touching to watch three films created by ISCO children, being shown to public at Plaza Senayan, last week, June 22, 2009.

The three short movies, entitled : I want to be a COOK someday, My mother a JAMU seller, and My father a DANGDUT MC, were among several movies produced, directed, written and camera-shot by ISCO children, under the supervision of Nia Dinata and friends. The children were trained, guided, and motivated by Nia Dinata's team in a film-making workshop especially set up for them, for almost 2 months .

This workshop was part of ISCO's various programs to inspire children that they can reach their dreams, that they can become somebody. Seeing the movies, makes you believe even more that these children have all the potentials. Just give them the chance -equal chance- like other children.

ISCO had the supports from Kiehl's (L'Oreal) management to show the films in public to show people what these children are able to do. The children also displayed some of the handycrafts they made. Several celebrities made beautiful designs for the shopping bags sold during the event, and the proceeds of the sale would go to ISCO, to help more needy children discover their potentials and talents.

Thank you all for your supports !! Make these children's dreams come true !!

URBAN POOR CHILDREN LONGING AN HONEST AND FIRM NEW INDONESIAN PRESIDENT WHO CARES FOR CHILDREN

Jakarta, 13 May 2009 — Urban poor children are hoping that the upcoming Indonesian president to be a good, honest, firm, and not corrupt leader, who cares more about children education.

These children's aspiration for the ideal president was written by dozens of street children in Tanah Merah, Semper slum area, on a piece of fabric. They are going to send the uniquely written fabric to the Presidential Palace, as expression of their concern for the nation, while doing a long-march .

These children are just a small part of 1,725 urban poor children supported by ISCO Foundation, from Jakarta, Depok, Surabaya, and Medan areas. They are receiving 12 years of free formal schooling from the Foundation, an NGO that has been actively helping Indonesian children for their right for education over the last 10 years.

The writing of these children aspirasion was held as part of the Recycled Material Handicraft Exhibition in Children Activity Center in Tanah Merah area. The government representative also came to see the children handicrafts handmade. They are Djafar Muchlisin, S.Sos, M.Si as the Head of Help Section of Social Catastrophy Victim, as representative from Social Section DKI Jakarta and Dr. Wahyu Hartomo, M.Sc as the Asisstant Deputy Children Social Issue, and also representative from The Ministry of Woman Empowerment, and the local authorities.

In this occassion, PT HERO Supermarket Tbk handed the donation they received from their customers all over Indonesia, totaling to Rp 467 millions Rupiah, through their ”Small Money, Big Hope” program.

According to ISCO Executive Director, Ramida HF Siringoringo, the fund is going to be used to support children education in 4 shanty areas in North Jakarta, and West Jakarta, and 1 coast slum area in Medan.

Founded in May 1999, ISCO started their programs in two slum areas, sponsoring 58 children. Now, ISCO is sponsoring 1,725 children in 26 areas in Jakarta, Depok, Surabaya, and Medan.

ISCO is going to celebrate its 10th anniversary by conducting a special gathering in Jakarta, Surabaya, and Medan involving about 1,400 children in July 2009.

These gatherings are going to be attended by many of children, who will be doing various activities such as puppet show, children choir, and lots of educative games. In Jakarta alone, at least 800 children are going to celebrate the happy moment in Taman Bunga Wiladatika, Cibubur, East Jakarta in July 11th 2009.

”Four ISCO Main Programs are giving free education from pre-school to high school, establishing and running Children Activity Center (CAC), providing additional nutrition, and fighting for children education right,” Ramida said.

Every supported children has an obligation to attend CAC to reduce the possibility for them in becoming street children or children labourer. They are learning the values of life such as attitude, discipline, diligency, honor, as well as strengthening their school subject. They are also receiving additional food and nutrition, vitamins, and fruits to support their health condition.

ISCO chooses urban slum areas because the tendencies for children to become street children or child labourer in these areas are high. It is very easy for them to get exploited by their own parents, or influenced by their neighborhood to do negative activities.

“By following the CAC program, children will learn about some manners as queueing in line, being a responsible person, building self confidence, and achieving high school grades,” Ramida said.
She hopes that Indonesian government realizes how important the tasks to eliminate poverty is, where out of those 41,7 million poor people (which is about 21,9 percent of Indonesian population), 150.000 are street children.

CIPINANG BESAR SELATAN

Cipinang Besar Selatan, is ISCO's first sponsored area. Its location is in East Jakarta, close to the highways, traditional markets, river banks, and it is very very densely populated. Children in this area are very vulnerable to go to the streets and become street children, as they live very closely to the areas where most busy Jakarta people pass by and do their activities. The busy streets, buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, carts, sellers, buyers, drivers, passengers, pedestrians, all are too attractive for these children to work as beggars, food hawkers or garbage collectors. They have often been sent out onto the streets by impoverished parents who can't support their families, and as a result, are deprived of an education.
ISCO sets up Children Activity Center in Cipinang Besar Selatan to attract these children to do fun and educational activities, and minimize their time spent on the streets. The tutors in the Center help these children with their school work or do some interesting projects together with the children.The children seem to enjoy going to the Activity Center. They learn many things, school stuff as well as other important things such as self hygene, eating healthy food, taking care of the young ones, and other living values.

ISCO strives to keep these children stay at school,and to rise all kids upward to their highest results as most parents do, and our target is to provide formal jobs to all sufficiently educated. ISCO wishes to cut the poverty cycle through better education for these children.

10 TAHUN YAYASAN ISCO, 1999-2009.

Bersamaan dengan workshop tahunan staf ISCO, pada tanggal 25 Peb 2009 tim besar & para board ISCO merayakan 10 tahun ISCO berkarya. Acara dimulai pukul 20.30 dimulai dengan salam pembukaan dari panitia, dilanjutkan dengan makan bersama hingga pukul 21.30.

Setelah para board berkumpul semua, pukul 22.00 diputar slide tentang perjalanan ISCO dan para stafnya yang sangat berdedikasi tinggi membantu mewujudkan hak pendidikan anak. Suasana haru dan sukacita mewarnai wajah teman-teman...

Tiup lilin yang dilakukan oleh board (Pak Pascal, Ibu Isti, Pak Soetjahjo) menambah meriahnya acara peringatan 10 tahun ISCO. Acara penutup adalah pemberian penghargaan bagi para staf yang sudah bekerja di ISCO selama 5 tahun lebih dan juga pembagian "panduan program ISCO Foundation" kepada perwakilan staf ISCO dari Jakarta, Surabaya dan Medan.

10 tahun ISCO berdiri, semoga membawa perubahan yang berarti bagi pendidikan anak negri..

ISCO Foundation 1999-2009.