VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government has made a concrete step by holding an emergency response to natural disaster which happened 2 weeks ago. Government institutions and private companies including Dompet Duafa and Zakat Forum or FOZ moved directly to Palu, Donggala and other areas affected by the disaster to provide temporary house and medical assistance. It was reported that until Thursday (11/10) there have been more than 2000 people died. Director of ZIS Mobilization, Bambang Suherman said that at this moment the zakat Forum or FOZ still is carrying emergency response in several areas that has been affected by liquefaction such as Bararoa, Donggala and its surroundings. Bambang also said that FOZ will build a temporary house in Central Sulawesi just like Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

“Today FOZ still concerns in emergency and like in Lombok, FOZ will provide assistance until economic recovery process. So, today the information from FOZ delivered to the media is on several activities that FOZ has done. So there’s food, cluster water, sanitation, health and trauma healing they have all already undergone. So after that we will enter recovery model for reconstruction and continue the trauma healing with psychological first aid or PFA then after the process is running like in Lombok, we will slowly recover the economy. FOZ builds temporary house on behalf of all FOZ members. In Lombok all entities and members of FOZ build almost 4000 temporary houses and if Dompet Duafa is included it will bigger,” said Bambang Suherman.

Besides temporary house initiated by FOZ, Dompet Duafa also has designed earthquake friendly homes. This design is prepared for the transition phase from response to recovery while waiting for the government instruction. Dompet Duafa and members including CSR, State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN ) and government through National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) and Minister of Public Works and People’s Housing (PUPR) plan to build 15 thousand earthquake friendly houses. (VOI/NK /AHM)

Indonesian government agrees to provide scholarship for Palestinian students. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki at Pancasila Building, Foreign Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta on Tuesday October (16/10). Retno said that Indonesian Rector Forum and Padjajaran University has agreed to give the scholarship. Besides, Indonesian government also offers scholarship on aviation education for Palestinian students.

“Still in line with capacity building, Indonesian Rector Forum and Padjajaran University give scholarship to the Palestinian students. This is part of Indonesia’s effort to prepare Palestinian young generation. The scholarship on the aviation education for Palestine students at the Indonesian aviation schools are currently in the process, so it can be implemented soon,” said Retno Marsudi.

Retno hopes the scholarship programs can be part of an effort to build capacity building to get positive impact in education for Palestinians’ welfare especially for young generation. In 2019, Indonesia plans to provide scholarship to 90 Palestinian officials and people. The programs offered will be varied from women empowerment, good governance, tropical fruits agriculture, food and medicine control and also aviation training. According to Retno, so far there have been 2000 Palestinians receiving capacity building in 17 programs that have been provided by the Indonesian government. (VOI/REZHA/Trans :NK/AHM)

National Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The MOU is an effort to provide assistance and protection to the Palestinians that become conflict victims in their country. The MOU was signed at the Pancasila building of Foreign Affairs Ministry Office on Tuesday, October 16^th 2018. The Vice Chairman of BAZNAS, Zainulbahar Noor and UNRWA Chairman signed the MOU. BAZNAS also provides donation to Jordan Hashemite Charity organization for Palestinian. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi who witnessed the signing of the MOU said that what BAZNAS did was the first innovation of distributing zakat in Indonesia.

“The third is National Zakat Agency Baznas as we have witnessed earlier have donated to the UNRWA and Jordan Hashemite charity organization for the Palestinian refugees. This is the first innovation where zakat can be channeled for the refugees, in this case, Palestinian refugees,” said Retno Marsudi.

On the same occasion BAZNAS Vice Chairman, Zainulbahar Noor explained that the MOU was signed focusing on the Palestinian refugees issues that is vurnarable and depends on the UNRWA donation. According to him, BAZNAS is committed to helping the Palestinian people, includingthe refugees who are currently under UNRWA protection. The number of refugees listed is five million people that spread in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Coast and Gaza Strip. He added that Baznas has held a charity event for the Palestinians for two years and the donation will be given to UNRWA to support their programs especially in education and health by cooperating with the local and international agencies. (VOI/VIQRAN/Trans :NK/AHM)