Nutrition For My Friends

1,924 Marginal Children in Greater Jakarta
& 500 Children in Merapi Camps

NUTRITION FOR MY FRIENDS (NUS) is Sahabat Anak’s program held in 2010. The program was launched on January 25, 2010 in conjunction with National Nutrition Day. NUS promotes nutrition for Indonesian children, especially marginal children (street children, scavengers, poor families and communities) that has become the focus of our service.

The program touched one of United Nations’ focus areas of children’s rights declared in 1989: “the right of healthy food”. We promote three main messages in the campaign: 1) nutrition is important for a child’s development; 2) every child has the right for healthy food, including marginal children; 3) healthy food is not always expensive.

We are grateful for public support towards NUS program. In the course of one year, we received funding support of IDR sixty four million from individuals, groups and institutions/companies. We also received additional thirty five million surplus funds from the Sahabat Anak Jamboree, our main event of the campaign. This year’s Sahabat Anak Jamboree brought the theme: “Healthy Food Shouldn’t be Expensive”.

Nutrition for Our Friends was distributed to 1,924 marginal children in 19 urban areas in the Greater Jakarta area. Although we were short from the target to reach 3,000 children, the program echoed to the public through media coverage (print, television, radio, internet), pamphlets, press release, email, websites, facebook and twitter campaign by Sahabat Anak.

A special note was nutrition distribution to 500 children displaced by the Merapi volcano eruption in two camps in Muntilan. Our motivation was to fulfill the rights of healthy food for children in the minimum condition in the camps.

Thank you for the participation of the NUS team, Sahabat Anak public relations, volunteers, partners, donors, media and all the people that supported the program.

For better Indonesia.

-Simsim-

Coordinator, NUS Team 2010

Ruri and Rahmat were clapped and sung Happy Birthday Song by other children, and then blew out candles stuck on thin cake, hold by Kak Icha. Not all the candles turned off, but Ruri sat down and cried. All of the Kakak got worried, was it something happened to his 10 years old girl. In her weep, Ruri said that she was touched since it was her first time celebrate birthday with candles, cake and song performed by her friends.

The touching moment was not last long. Ruri looked happy again when her friends lined up to greet her. A blue plastic bag from Kak Icha, brought a big smile on her face.

That Sunday (19/12/2010) afternoon was the first period of Sahabat Anak Nutrition Program delivered to the children from Jatiasih Free Tutoring. Sahabat Anak channelled the public donation – where every IDR 50,000 means 1 child at the scavenger community can have nutritious assumption for 3 months.

Though sit on thin sheets and cardboards, it does not lessen the children’s enthusiastic for studying. Surrounded by mounted trashes from their scavenger activity, the shade from a huge tree and light breeze brought a little comfort to concentrate on the lesson.

“Don’t forget to do your homework, okay…” Icha the Person in Charge (PIC) of Jatiasih Free Tutorial reminded. After 2 hours tutoring, the children who mostly joined 2010 Sahabat Anak Jamboree, closed their books and listened to the message of how important nutrition is.

Lunch was distributed with menu: rice, vegetables, chicken, and chips; then the cut-into-pieces fresh watermelons and bottles of chocolate milk. Kak Wawan – one of the tutor volunteer – delivered chocolate wafers, which were bought personally. Before that, two generous donors who knew this event from sahabatanak twitter came and shared delicious snacks to the children.

The joy on the children’s faces could not be hidden, also for us, the volunteers they call Kakak. This is the essence of all Sahabat Anak program: bring out the joy to fulfil the children’s right, including the needy marginalized children throughout this nation.

Saturday November 27^th 2010, the children from Senen Learning Activity (KBM) got their turn for receiving Nutrition for My Friend (NUS) Program from Sahabat Anak. Needed an extra effort that noon since an hour before hard rain hit Jakarta city. The volunteer tutors were worried and whispered, praying for the rain to stop.

On 4 PM, the rain was petered, but still in droplets. When we arrived at the KBM Location, the field was flooding. The children that had already gathered there said, “Kak, wait a moment okay. We want to ngojek first!” Ngojek means they offer umbrella for people on the street and got pay from it.

Olala, the rain brings fortune for those marginal kids. Waited for the rain totally stop and also for some children who went to ngojek, we were singing and playing with the toddlers age pre-school and elementary 1^st grade. Right one hour after, the rain finally stopped and other children came back to join us.

At first, we recalled the children about their commitments on Sahabat Anak Jamboree last July. Surprisingly, they still remember and implement it in their life, like consuming vegetables.

The first period of NUS Program, we delivered boiled egg, green bean porridge, and meat bread. They ate the porridge and the eggs. “Why you haven’t eaten the bread?” we asked them curiously. “We save it for tonight, after Learning Session.” They answered honestly. Well, kids… J

Thank you Sahabat Anak for willing to deliver the Nutrition Program for our children at KBM Senen.

By Krisanti – KBM Senen Tutor

Nutrition Program is still open for your participation. IDR 50,000 donation means 1 marginalized child can have nutritious items for 3 months. Transfer to BCA account 305-300-5001, with note: “NUS Program”.