Progress Report of Cakung Children Community on December 2011

Greetings to all our kind friends

We wish you a Merry Christmas 2011 and New Year 2012
Let us share the joy, peace, love and blessings with the world


December was filled with several activities covering curriculum evaluation for the team of facilitator and program evaluation for the Cakung children as well as setting up a new curriculum and program for the year 2012. The study activities for the Cakung Children were completed on early December 2011. Therefore, we only had art and craft activities for children in Category III and IV for once a week.

The children and parents started to build their hopes even though they have to live in a small rented house or only able to build a temporary room on the empty land. On that land was built their houses.

The ruins and woven bamboo wall as well as bamboo were scattered on the land. On top of those ruins, we set up a new learning place, a place for the children to learn and for the parents to gather.

There are several children notes regarding their experiences of being forcedly moved out from their homes which can be read on our blog:
http://cakungchildrencommunity.blogspot.com

The land was not prepared to erect buildings yet therefore, we could still use it to plant vegetables – with permission from the land keeper – temporarily, until further notice. Therefore, we tried to ‘build’ our Learning House which is more close to be called as Learning Tent.

Our Learning House belongings were kept in our new rented house. The children of this community together with the residents of Cakung and their children helped us to move the items.

We thank to all of the children in Cakung who have shown their solidarity and effort towards all the activities.

The new rented house we use to keep the community’s belongings, bookshelf and its books as well as to organise some activities, especially to do art and craft and meetings between facilitators and program committee. Although the house is quite big, it is located in a residential area. Therefore, we can not use it for learning place for children from Cakung.

There were some supporters who visited us and had a chance to see the last condition of the demolished houses and the Cakung Children Community rented house.

As soon as we announced the demolishment, Kak Paramita Rai and her friends in Australia took initiative to raise funds. The fund was brought by Kak Maureen Lintong during her Christmas and New Year holiday at her parents. We received the fund on early December 2011. Thanking all the friends in Australia .

Since we erected the Learning Tent, our friends, Bu Ari and Pak Edi organised a 5th birthday celebration for their child, Raka, to share their happiness with the Cakung children.

The birthday was held on Sunday, 18 December 2011. There were quite many children joined the celebration. The children sang and played together and it was the first time after we had our Learning House demolished in November which separated all of the children away. After they sang Selamat Ulang Tahun song, they continued by singing Happy Birthday to You, then Raka blew the candles on his large birthday cake. The birthday cake was covered by sugar featuring cartoon characters. We took a group photo. After that, the family cut and distributed the cake. We played some quiz which was lead by Kak Qori’ah. It was a happy and wonderful time.

After the whole celebration, we had lunch together and distributed gifts from the birthday boy to all children in Cakung. All the children queued in line nicely to receive the gifts and to thank Raka and his family.

Bu Ari and Pak Edi and their family cared to visit the Learning House of Cakung Children Community before they gone home. After that, we walked them to the land where lots of rubbish piled up, to their car.

We thank Bu Ari, Pak Edi, Bu Elisa, Rara and Raka for all the happiness they shared with children in Cakung. May God bless them abundantly and provide good health for Bu Ari and the family.

In mid December, some children received some funds to organise their certificates of birth from Alumni of Canisius College who joined MenforOthers. The children were relieved as finally they can get their birth certificate sorted. They are Jingga and Indah. There are another four children who with the moral support from Alumni of Canisius College managed to encourage their parents to save some money to obtain their birth certificates through a formal venue at the Civil Register Office.

We thank MenforOthers who provided some funds to obtain the birth certificates and to open residents’ awareness the importance of the birth certificates for their children as it is part of their basic right. The right to entitle their names and citizenships as per stated on the Children Right Convention.

On Thursday, 23 December 2011, we held a bazaar under Learning Tent. The items were donated by Kak Maureen Lintong who was on holiday in Indonesia and from Kak Arif and some residents of Harapan Indah estate in Bekasi.

The bazaar was held from noon to late afternoon. Kak Arif came together with his friends who brought all the donated goods as well as visited the area to see the last state of Cakung Sawah


Children Health Improvement Program

On early December, some Cakung facilitator together with some committee of Poor Community in Metro Network (Jaringan Rakyat Miskin Kota) from Muara Baru met the medical team from Atma Jaya Hospital , Pluit. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the health campaign regarding Tuberculosis and to conduct Mantoux Test. The meeting was held at Atma Jaya Hospital in Pluit.

The campaign was then held in Balai PAUD of Poor Community in Metro Network, Muara Baru branch starting from 2pm till approximately 6pm. The campaign meeting was participated by more than 61 families. We gathered this number from the list of residents in Muara Baru, Bu Dewi and Bu Sinta – the representative of Poor Community in Metro Network, Muara Baru branch.

This activity was supported by MenforOthers - Alumni of Canisius College and led by Kak Bimo together with medical team from Atma Jaya Hospital, Pluit. All medical expenses including transportation cost to do Mantoux Test at Atma Jaya Hospital was borne by Children Health Division of Atma Jaya Hospital, Pluit.

Facilitator Team of Cakung participated in this activity as well. This was their very first activity since expanding to a new area, Muara Baru. This activity also served as the initial collaboration work with Poor Community in Metro Network.

Some other new activities - alternative education program and establishing library - were planned to take in place on 1 January 2012. These two activities will be permanently conducted in Muara Baru community throughout 2012.


Scholarship

The eviction has affected several scholarship recipients especially in accommodation. Initially, they did not require any transport cost, except pocket money which was provided by the parents. However, since early December, we need to provide transportation cost as the parents were having difficulties with the new rental cost.

The residents were used to hire the land for several years to grow some vegetables and then built a house. Nowadays, they have to pay for house rent every month. Furthermore, they have to spend to feed the whole family. No more money to be spent for transportation for the children to go to school.

There were a lot of other expenses to pay for the parents in December month such as Education Material Review for high school students, tuition fees, study certificate cost and fee for borrowing books from school library for the next semester.


Activity plan for January 2012

1. To establish Community of Learning Children as a merge form of two children communities in Cakung and Muara Baru areas in early 2012.

2. To start the learning activities for children from Cakung area on second Friday of January 2012. The activities for children from Muara Baru will start on the first Sunday of January 2012.

3. To purchase stationaries and other supplies for children in the early category group.

4. To involve children from Category 4 to participate as Facilitators in accompanying the younger children to learn. We will divide the groups into four categories. Category 0 is for very young children who start to show interest to learn, Category 1 is for young children who want to learn - numeric, letters, spelling and are brave enough to speak. Category 2 is for young children who have done some studies and mostly have been to formal schools. They can read, write, count and speak up. Category 3 is for children who understand some knowledge, theorethically and practically. Several children from Category 4 are involved to accompany children from Category 0 and 1.

5. Starting from this year, we need to streamline the programs due to limited venue facility to learn and to realise all planned programs. The 2012 Program covers alternative education, nutritious improvement for children, portable library and scholarship. The program we delete - as most of residents have built awareness about the importance of visiting Puskesmas (Centre of Community Health) when they are sick - is children health improvement.


Lastly, we thank all friends for their prayers, financial, physical and material supports to make Cakung Children Community programs into realization in December 2011.

Thanks to the financial support which have been used to accommodate the operational program of Cakung Children Community. Thanks to Kak Paramita Rai, Kak Ivonne Edenton, Kak Melany Wijaya, Kak Budiono, Kak Pie Ling and Kak Anita Linggar. Thanks to Kak Maureen Lintong who had brought the funds from Australia for us.

Our thanks to Kak Eka for sharing our concern with her friends. Thanks to Kak Rizka Meriana who positively responding Kak Eka’s concern by providing financial support. Thank you very much Kak Rizka Meiriana.


Our gratitude to Bu Ari and Pak Edi who have conveying our situation to Lauw Lie Hoeng family, who then provide us financial support. Thanks to Lauw Lie Hoeng family. We thank for caring to allow us to share Raka’s the happiness in celebrating his birthday.

We thank Kak Jenny, Bu Rina Anwar, Bu Vina, Pak Arend, Michelle Maramis for their routine monthly financial donation which we use for operational activities in Cakung Children Community.

Thanks to Kak Tuti and friend for providing us food and basic needs for residents in Cakung, to Kak Maureen Lintong and Kak Arif together with residents of Harapan Indah Estate for the material supports received. Thank you so much to Kak Anita Linggar for translating this monthly progress report.

Thanks to all of you. May God bless you all abundantly and may our collaboration work continues.

God bless us all.


Warmest regards
On behalf of Cakung Children Community

Debby

P.S.
You could give donation via bank:
Acc.holder Debby Maitimu or Dwi Resmi Sari
BCA Branch office Matraman, East Jakarta, Indonesia
Acc.no.342-2792161
Swift code : cenaidja
or contact me for material support on +628129685594.