Surabaya Entrepreneurs Become Foster Parents Of Children Detained From Diplomas In School

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SURABAYA - An entrepreneur in the city of Surabaya, East Java, became a foster parent for a child whose diploma was held back at school because he had not been able to pay his tuition and other obligations.

A member of Commission A of the Surabaya Regional House of Representatives, Arif Fathoni, admitted that he was grateful that the diplomas of a junior high school student from Keputih, Sukolilo District who had been detained at school had been released.

"The two children now have foster parents and the child who graduated from SPM is finally registered as a high school student in the Keputih area", he said, quoted by Antara, Friday, November 19.

According to him, after the news about the student's fate that was widely circulated in several media, one of his colleagues, a young businessman whose social spirit is unquestionable, offered to become the foster parent of the prospective student by paying for the student's education.

"When I asked, Mas Raja Siahaan (owner of Patriots Group), he said that as a Suroboyo man he was moved when a Surabaya child could not continue his education because of economic disadvantage. He also wanted to find charity savings in heaven", he said.

Finally, he continued, this Friday has been paid in full, the tuition fee has been paid, so the child from Keputih Surabaya can immediately go to school even though he is one semester late.

The chairman of the Surabaya Golkar Party Regional Board of Directors said that during the Soeharto era, he had promoted the foster parents' movement, as a form of embodiment of the Indonesian culture of gotong royong (work team).

He hopes that in the future there will be more entrepreneurs like the Patriots Group owner who cares about the fate of his brother and does not just seek as much profit as possible without caring about the condition of the surrounding community.

In addition, he also hopes that entrepreneurs in Surabaya will check in the area around their place of business, in collaboration with the local RT and RW (Citizens Association), whether there are children who have dropped out of school in the vicinity of the business location.

"Happy school, son, believe me, great captains are not made from a shady sea", he said.