Sahabat Anak Day 2009 – Press Release
Sahabat Anak 2009
Campaigning Children’s Rights through Sahabat Anak Movement
Jakarta, March 1, 2009 – Sahabat Anak, a community of professionals and students that focuses in education and street children empowerment today held the commemoration of Sahabat Anak Day in Jakarta. The event was aimed to spread the Sahabat Anak movement that calls public to take the role of FRIEND and help to fight for children’s rights.
“Our experience to accompany street children since 1997 showed that more that the coins they gained on the street, they need a friend that loves, accompanies and helps them,” said Linayati Tjindra, Head of Sahabat Anak Community in celebration ceremony at FX Plaza, Senayan, Jakarta. “Although the government has institutions and programs to increase children’s welfare – we believe that individuals, families, media and companies should also take an active role to ensure that Indonesian children get their rights.”
Also present in the Sahabat Anak Day celebration, a practitioner in tackling social issues and former United Nations Ambassador for Millennium Development Goals Erna Witoelar who has been supporting Sahabat Anak movement since 2007.
The Sahabat Anak Movement 2009 is themed “SHOES FOR MY FRIEND” which invites public to take the role as friends by providing shoes for more than 3,000 children. The program has been implemented since October 2008 by conducting activities from gathering data, foot measurement and shoes distribution.
“Shoes are a very simple need, but play significant factor. There are many children who do not have proper shoes,” said Program Coordinator Beny Lumy. “Through this activity, we invite the public to take part by donating Rp 50,000 for one pair of black shoes and two pairs of socks for the children to wear for school. The objective is not only to give them shoes, but also to show that we care and the trough the distribution activities, friendship can be built.”
To date, Sahabat Anak as facilitator has gathered and distributed 3,117 pair of shoes to 37 areas in the greater Jakarta area involving 12 institutions.
“We hope that with the 2009 Sahabat Anak movement, more people willing to be friends, and the children we reached through the Shoes for My Friend program may be motivated to pursue their goals and realize that they have friends that care,” Beny Lumy added.
About Sahabat Anak
Sahabat Anak (SA) is a community of volunteers that accompanies street children in the greater Jakarta area. Currently SA has eight (8) branches in Prumpung, Grogol, Cijantung, Gambir, Manggarai, Senen, Tanah Abang and Mangga Dua. SA supports the campaign “Stop giving money, be a child’s friend”.
