 DANA SEJAHTERA MANDIRI Foundation was established on January 15, 1996 by the Board of founders comprising of the former President Soeharto, in his personal capacity, Mr Sudwikatmono, Mr Liem Soe Liong and Professor Dr Haryono Suyono.
The vision of DAMANDIRI is to develop human resources through the eradication of poverty in Indonesia, empowering the community, families and individuals towards sustained self reliance.
BREAKING THE POVERTY CHAIN
It was in 1996 when Professor Dr HaryonoSuyono, then as Chairman of BKKBN, issued an executive decision to institutionalize the Family Registration System. This registration categorizes all Indonesian families into five welfaregroups, i.e. Pre-prosperous, Prosperous Stage, Prosperous Stage 2, Prosperous Stage 3, and Prosperous stage 3+. The categorization included measurements in their physical features, in economic, in spiritual as well as aspiration variables. With these categories apropriate intervention variables are identified for each and every individual poor family in the country, by names and adresses.
Convinced that poverty alleviation is a national and even more so, a global concern, DAMANDIRI alligns itself with other stakeholders with similar aims, both at the national as well as in the international arena.
DAMANDIRI is egually convinced that poverty and its alleviation are community and location specific. Therefore DAMANDIRI advocates for local community empowerment with strong facilitation from concerned stakeholders.
DAMANDIRI AND INCOME SECURITY
At the national level OAMANDIRI alligns with local/district governments and with local banking system, particularly those operating in small rural areas. A case in point is the local market at the city of Karanganyar, Central Java (Bank Pasar Karanganyai). With the local government, the goal of the alignment is to obtain their commitment to the noble efforts in poverty alleviation and in improving the human resources for further development. This, among others is done through credit and microcredit schemes for small and medium businesses, and loans to the village midwives to broaden their clientele base for family-maternal-child health services.
Alignment with the banking system is also done with provincial development banks and "savings and loan associations" (Bank Perkreditan Rakyat = BPR). In so doing DAMANDIRI places itself as collateral to the BPR. The principle is local community group participation; the larger and more groups participate, the speedier povertyalleviation.
DAMANDIRI AND THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS
DAMANDIRI also collaborates with numerous state and private universities, forthem to give guidance and facilitation to families in the vaccinity of those universities to embark on small home industries. This is one avenue to provide employment opportunities for school dropouts in local communities, secondary school or graduates who are unable to continue to higher learning. Thus, another approach to breakthe poverty chain in the community.
The partner universities are also encouraged to provide knowledge and skills enhancement to model secondary schools, in order to enhance guality education to the secondary schools. Important to highlight is the three principles DAMANDIRI holds in its contribution to the education sector, i.e. (i) to expand universal education opportunities to the general population, especially to the poor and girl-children of the poor; (2) to keep those children in the school-system over extended period; and (3) enhancing the guality of the educational systems.
DAMANDIRI embarks in a large scheme to provide scholarships to promising children of the poor so that they areable to complete secondary schooling. To those who are unable to continue to higher education, they are given skills training and small loans to assist them earn decent living and trade.
MDGS AND THE EIGHT FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY
Indonesia has since the mid-1980's formulated the history old credo that there are eight functions of the Indonesian families in the overall social fabric. Those functions are:
1. Religiosity function,
2. Social function,
3. Love and affection,
4 Sanctuary to every member of the family,
5. Reproductive and family health,
6. Education function,
7. Economicfunction,
8. Preserving the environment,
Carrying those functions to the family's daily life will assuredly enhance their betterment and wellbeing. Yet, one should also recognize that in the present conditions of community life, the dire need for support and nurturing of the authorities are tangible.
In essence, the fulfillment of those eight functions percolates into family involvement and participation in local community social development This is one of the obsessions of DAMANDIRI.
EDUCATION AND HEALTH: TOWARDS PUALITY HUMAN RESOURCES
It is the conviction of DAMANDIRI that whereas focusing on poverty alleviation is essential, other efforts to enhance the quality of human resources in Indonesia are of no less importance. In this, DAMANDIRI has numerous programs.
First deserving mention is fellowship to final semester less-privileged college students to finish their education and to write their thesis. To earn this fellowship the students are assigned the task as facilitators to small loan recipients and to teach them practical managerial skills. In turn, the experiences gained by those students can be written as their thesis and are then made available for wide disseminaton.
As earlier mentioned fellowships are also given to less-privileged high school students to learn specific trade and skills should they fail to continue to higher education.
Funds arealso provided forteachersto improve teaching skills in internship program at a model high school.
On a different track DAMANDIRI in collaboration with Ikatan Bidan Indonesia (Indonesian Midwives Association)and provincial developmentbanks, provide professional loan to private practicing midwives, especially in rural areas. In addition those midwives are given periodic skills upgrading through workshops and seminars.
THE POSDAYA PROGRAM:
Family empowerment for
Sodal Development at the grass roots
In the early 1980's Indonesia initiated the POSYANDU, integrating FP/RH services with Family Health, including Nutrition and immunization
programs. POSYANDU was jointly undertaken by BKKBN, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, PKK, Ministry of Cooperative, MinistryofAgriculture.whichlaterinvolved othergovernment agencies and major NGOs. POSYANDU became the major feature of the Indonesian FP/RH program, attracting the attention of the international communities. It was most unfortunate that with the onset of the Indonesian monetary and socio-political crisis the POSYANDU declined and became want in many areas of the nation. Hence, the present emphasis in revitalizing this integrated program.
Participating actively in this intensification scheme, DAMANDIRI carries the idea further into embracing the target groups and the beneficiariesofthe presents cheme to all sements softhepopulation. Thus, came the inception of the POSDAYA (Pos Pemberdayaan Keluarga = Integrated Post for Family Empowerment. This new integrated grass roots post provides services for those in need and a forum for participation and empowerment for expectant mothers, infants and children, school going children and youth and adolescents, parents, and the elderly. This is a local community movement and empowerment.
JOINING THE DEVELOPMENT MAINSTREAM
With all of the above DAMANDIRI is continuously endeavoring to place the majority of Indonesian families and human resources into the mainstream of development. This is done through establishing the Indonesian Institute for Human Development (IIHD) housed at the Airlangga University in Surabaya. Similar arrangement will also be made with the Bogor Agricutural Institute. As things stand todate DAMANDIRI is networking more than 22 state and private universities in the country.
CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
DAMANDIRI's obsession to empower all segments of the society and all members of the families is also manifested in the setting-up of the Center for National and International Training and Cooperation in Social Development.
This center endeavors to enhance the capacity of all categories of providers and beneficiaries to participate in the great, complex and global effort of social development.
NETWORKS AND NETWORKING
An important highlight is that DAMANDIRI places high priority on forging partnership with national and international institutions endeavoring similar goals. In the national scene links are nurtured with the Coordianting Ministry for People's Welfare, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, State Ministry for Women Empowerment, BKKBN, to mention some examples. Special cooperative arrangements are established with Provincial and Municipal/Regency governments, and with national and local banking communities. With the NGOs collaborative links are forge with The Family Welfare Movement (PKK), the White Ribbon Alliance (APPI), YKB (Kusuma Buana Foundation).
In the international spheres links are maintaained with AUICK, ICOMP, PARTNERSIN POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, UNFPA, UNDP, and various others. This partnership place Indonesia in the global arena of human resources development.
DAMANDIRI'S ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENT
The DAMANDIRI foundation is Chaired by the former President Soeharto. The Vice Chairman is Professor Dr Haryono Suyono, the former Coordinating Minister for Peoples's Welfare and Minister for Population and Chairman of BKBN. The Foundation's Secretary is Mr Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya, former Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Middle Enterprises. The foundation is manned by able and professional staff, and is housed at the following address:
DAMANDIRI FOUNDATION
Granadi Building, 11 Floor, Jl Rasuna Said Blok X - I Kav, 8 - 9 Kuningan South Jakarta 12950 - Indonesia.
Phone: 62-21 2524081, 2524984, 2524985, 5279606
Web Site : http://www.damandiri.or.id
e-mail: Haryono_syn@yahoo.com
Fax. 62-21 2524980
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