Quake-hit schools receive new facilities

YOGYAKARTA: Eight schools in Bantul and Gunungkidul regencies that were badly damaged by the 2006 earthquake are to receive educational facilities from PT ACE Indonesia Insurance that will be distributed through the Sampoerna Foundation in Jakarta.

The recipient schools consist of three elementary schools in Gunungkidul and two elementary schools, two junior high schools and a senior high school in Bantul.

The facilities, worth about US$100,000, included computers, printers, library books and equipment for the schools' chemistry, physics and biology laboratories.

The aid was symbolically handed over last week by ACE Insurance vice president-director Fred Latumahina to Bantul regent Idham Samawi for further distribution to the selected schools.

""We thank you for choosing educational institutions (to receive the aid). Many of us have frequently forgotten to pay attention to our human resources,"" Idham said at the occasion.

""We are specifically focusing on educational facilities because at least 30 percent of school activities need such facilities,"" said Fred. ""Besides, most of the aid thus far have focused mainly on physical reconstruction (projects).""

The Sampoerna Foundation was chosen to channel the aid, he said, mostly because of its experience in dealing with efforts to improve the quality of and access to education in Indonesia, including in earthquake-hit areas in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Following the May 27, 2006 disaster, the foundation conducted a series of programs, mostly in the Central Java regencies of Bantul and Klaten, to help restore education.

""With the help of our donor partners we have provided student survivors with scholarships, rebuilt damaged education facilities, and improved the quality of schools and libraries,"" said Sampoerna Foundation communication director Sapto H. Sakti said.

-- JP/Sri Wahyuni