Kids help tackle social problems

Tifa Asrianti and Mustaqim Adamrah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 05/07/2008 9:39 AM  |  City

"Why did you litter? You shouldn't do that. It's not good for the environment," Mega, 12, said to her friend Ina.

The girls started arguing, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

"And cut," shouted Dimas, 12, who was standing behind a handycam.

The scene involving 10 elementary students in Cawang district, East Jakarta, was part of the participatory video program held by the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI).

The children were enthusiastic about the program. They made a storyboard and directed their friends as they acted out the scene. They even managed to shoo away passersby who might have disturbed the shooting.

Rena, the director and scriptwriter, said the most difficult part was directing her friends.

"Sometimes they talked too fast or too slow. We had to shoot the scene over and over again," said the sixth grader from SD 3 Kebon Baru elementary school in East Jakarta.

PMI field coordinator for East Jakarta Ahmad Fahli said the video was one of his office's risk reduction programs for urban areas. He said PMI also made a similar video program in West Jakarta.

"It's a pilot project. If it succeeds, we'll apply it to other urban areas. We'll also make another film with adults later this week," Fadli said.

Fadli said PMI received requests for help from 49 of the 65 Cawang subdistricts in February 2007. PMI spent one third of its budget on helping flood victims, he said.

"We want residents to participate in taking care of their environment," he said.

He said one of the difficulties PMI found during the program was organizing a time where all urban residents could gather.

"In rural areas it is easier to gather people because most farm in the day and return home by sunset," Fadli said.

In Cawang, the residents themselves initiated action. Many had seen their neighbors throwing garbage in the area and wanted to address the issue to help mitigate flooding.

During the filming, a woman was seen throwing garbage right next to the children. Ironically, some of the children themselves threw their plastic water cups on the street.

In another program, run by the National Education Ministry, 10 child "doctors" Sunday provided health information to the public.

The 10 children were finalists for a child doctor award, succeeding the other 66 participants from 36 elementary schools.

In line with 27 years of the ministry's child doctor program, the award was initiated by the Indonesian Doctor Association (IDI) and the ceremony was attended by Governor Fauzi Bowo.

"We expect these young doctors to be role models for their peers and help give them information on living healthily," said IDI chairman Fachmi Idris.

He also said IDI would hold similar awards in other provinces to encourage the growth of the program.

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