SAMARINDA - The East Kalimantan Provincial Government pays serious attention to orphans who have lost their parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance will be provided for daily life to guarantee education.
The Governor of East Kalimantan, Isran Noor, said that the attention given was not only for the short term, but also for the medium to long term. So that the orphans are not too hard to live their lives.
"We have prepared a budget for the range of 150 to 500 orphans due to COVID-19. The data already exists, but still varies, is still being consolidated and validated. On Monday, August 23, 2021, it will be submitted to the City of Samarinda first, from the data that there are about 28 people. The compensation that each person gets is around two million rupiah," said Isran Noor, quoted by Antara, Thursday, August 19.
Not only that, continued Isran, for the medium term, orphans due to the pandemic will be accommodated in an orphanage belonging to the East Kalimantan Provincial Government in Samarinda City with a capacity of around 500 people.
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Hadi Mulyadi added that for the long term, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government will coordinate with related parties, universities and the private sector for scholarship programs.
From the East Kalimantan Provincial Government itself, there is the Kaltim Complete Scholarship (BKT) program that can be used for college education for orphans due to COVID-19.
"As for those who have finished basic education, we will also send them to the Vocational Training Center (BLK) to gain skills, so they can work and earn income," added Hadi.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) Rita Pranawati appreciated the steps taken by the East Kalimantan Governor H Isran Noor, who took the policy of protecting orphans, because they lost both their parents due to exposure to COVID-19.
“We also appreciate that the East Kalimantan Provincial Government already has data on orphans, while in other provinces it is still unclear how many there are. This can be a model for other governors in Indonesia,” said Rita Pranawati.
Rita added that with the data, it will continue with the intervention, and East Kalimantan has done this by providing health insurance, education insurance, guarantees for daily life, and that is a reinforcement for children who have lost both parents.
Rita also appreciates Governor Isran Noor who has initiated the adoption and maintenance of 10-year-old Alviano Dava Raharjo (Vino), although this did not materialize because Vino was taken and cared for by his grandmother in Sragen.
"So Pak Isran's policy is extraordinary, because it ensures that they are not neglected, by providing protection and life insurance, education and health insurance for these orphaned children," said Rita Pranawati.
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