1.644 Children Affected by COVID-19 in Bekasi Receive IDR 900.000 in Assistance

JAKARTA - A total of 1.644 orphans affected by COVID-19 after being left by their parents in Bekasi Regency, West Java, are prioritized to receive social assistance which is scheduled to be distributed for October-December 2021.

"They are prioritized to get social assistance either through the central or regional governments," said Head of the Bekasi District Social Service Endin Samsudin in Cikarang, Wednesday, October 20.

He explained that as many as 527 children had been allocated to receive social assistance from the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs in the form of cash worth IDR 200.000 for three months from October to December 2021.

"This allocation from the Ministry of Social Affairs has been validated. Hopefully, it will be realized this week. They will make savings and receive IDR 200 thousand every month until the end of the year," he said as quoted by Antara.

Then the aid sourced from the local government will be distributed to 500 other orphans. Each child receives IDR 900 thousand in aid which is divided into three stages.

"The Regent has allocated this amount with the same distribution mechanism as the Ministry of Social Affairs. This assistance is IDR 300 thousand per child for three months, so the total is IDR 900 thousand," he said.

The Bekasi Regency Government also received CSR funds from PT Hankook Tire Indonesia in the form of school stationery which is planned to be allocated to 330 orphans affected by COVID-19.

"The rest for the other 287 orphans, we are persuading PT Cikarang Listrindo for the CSR," he said.

Endin admitted that currently the administrative files for the distribution of aid have been completed. "We have finished all that, we just need to open an account, wait for information and just transfer it from Bank Jabar," he said.

He hopes that this assistance program can be used as well as possible to minimize the impact of the pandemic, especially for children who have been left alone by their parents.

"We also open the door wide for anyone who wants to help these children. Like the communication we have with the National Armed Forces (TNI), there are TNI members who want to raise and send three orphans in Setu District," he said.