Josef Fuchs, an Austrian citizen who founded the Indonesian Street Children Organization (ISCO) Foundation, has recently been awarded the “Decoration of Honor in Gold for services to the Republic of Austria” by the Austrian government.

The ISCO Foundation is an NGO that focuses on poor children’s education. Fuchs won the award for his dedication toward humanity and charity activities and promoted Austria in Indonesia through his business and humanitarian activities.

On behalf of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia Helene Steinhäusl conferred the medal of honor upon Fuchs on Nov. 22 in a ceremony in Jakarta. The ceremony was held at the Austrian Embassy in Central Jakarta in the presence of more than 100 guests.

“His commitment to these children is really tireless,” Steinhäusl said.

A Decoration of Honor is conferred only upon persons having acted in such a way as to provide outstanding public benefit and excellent services.

“I think this medal is something that I will use tirelessly as leverage [to develop ISCO],” Fuchs said in his acceptance speech at the ceremony.

Also present at the ceremony were three ISCO students who have graduated from universities. The three students were Adi Ciputra, a 24-year-old graduate of the State University of Jakarta; Aldi Rizaldi, a 24-year-old graduate from Lampung University; and Aprilia Nuari, a 22-year-old from Sebelas Maret University in Surakarta, Central Java.

“When I saw these three graduates standing before the audience — that [is] happiness which can’t be bought with money,” said Fuchs, who is also the founder of mobile messaging provider 1rstWAP.

During the Asian financial crisis in 1997 to 1998, Fuchs saw that the economic downturn led to massive unemployment and many students had to abandon their studies. Fuchs later pulled together partners, sponsors and even the then-Indonesian president BJ Habibie. He organized the Student Support Festival in 1998. With the revenues from the event alone, 3,500 young Indonesians were able to pursue their studies.

Together: Josef Fuchs (left) and Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia Helene Steinhäusl (second left) pose for photographs with Indonesian Street Children Organization (ISCO) executive director Julinda Dewi (third left) and three ISCO students who received assistance during the “Decoration of Honor in Gold” ceremony in Jakarta on Nov. 22. (Courtesy of the Austrian Embassy in Indonesia)

In 1999, Fuchs founded ISCO with the aim to give socially disadvantaged children in Indonesia access to education. The project started with 50 children in two areas of Jakarta. Today, the foundation supports 2,500 children through its community centers in 30 areas: 18 in Greater Jakarta, eight in Surabaya and four in Medan. Most of the children are aged between 5 to 17 years and live in slum-urban areas.

The foundation has a total of 80 employees to manage the community centers across Indonesia. Fuchs dedicates most of his free time to ISCO and to garner new sponsors. About 30 percent of the profits of his company 1rstWAP are used for ISCO activities.

ISCO, some of the children of which have gone to universities, aims to ensure that its students stay in school at least until high school. The foundation provides financial support for students, which varies depending on the financial condition of their families. The scholarships for the school tuitions are usually given by ISCO at a rate of 70 to 85 percent, while the parents pay the rest. This is to give a sense of responsibility to their parents, who have to be committed to sending their children to schools in the first place.

A child has to be at about the kindergarten age to enter the ISCO program, Fuchs said, because it is the best age to learn reading and calculating. That is also a way to separate the children from street life, which could be alluring for them and stop them from going to school.

At the community centers, children can do their homework with their tutors. Students who have gone to ISCO for years still express their enthusiasm about studying there. Angga Maulana, 16, for example, said he was glad that he was going to ISCO. “Here, I was taught to become a better person,” he said. He added that he liked to finish his homework at the ISCO Semper Community Center in Plumpang, North Jakarta.

The children, however, receive more than just academic assistance after school. The young children are also taught to dress and wash properly. Nutrition is also an important thing in ISCO centers. The foundation serves nutritious meals twice a week for the children, and every other day it serves snacks, milk and vitamins. The parents are also involved, as they must cook nutritious lunch at home for their children twice a week.

“This is for making the mothers aware [of a healthy diet], so they’ll cook properly,” Fuchs said.

Moreover, the effort to help the students does not stop only at the community centers. Fuchs further helps the students to find a job through his network. He organizes an informal gathering at Blue Martini Bar of JW Marriot Hotel every Wednesday evening. The event also aims to reach out to new sponsors and raise funds for ISCO. The gathering also provides an opportunity for businesspeople to meet new people, exchange opinions and establish networks.

Medal of honor: On behalf of the federal president of the Republic of Austria, Ambassador Helene Steinhäusl (right) confers the “Decoration of Honor in Gold” for services to the Republic of Austria upon Josef Fuchs at the Austrian Embassy in Jakarta on Nov. 22. (Courtesy of the Austrian Embassy to Indonesia)

Fuchs, born on Nov. 27, 1954, is the oldest of five and came from a simple family. His mother, who did not finish her primary school, was always motivating Fuchs and his siblings to get the best education. One of Fuchs’ siblings, Wenzel Fuchs, grew up to become a clarinetist who also received the decoration of honor.

Fuchs, who graduated from Höhere Technische Lehranstalt Innsbruck in Austria, came to Indonesia in 1984 to work for Siemens company. In 1989, he resigned from Siemens and returned to Austria. In 1995, he returned to Indonesia and worked at telecommunications firm Telkomsel.

In 1999, Fuchs, who can speak English, German and Indonesian, founded his own telecommunications company 1rstWAP and social organization ISCO Foundation in Indonesia.

After almost two decades since its establishment, ISCO aims to expand its reach in the rural areas in Indonesia in the future as Fuchs believes it can address the problems of urbanization.

“My idea for the long-term is to use our professional network of business and to go to rural areas and to start the development there,” Fuchs said. “The most important thing is it has to be sustainable.”