Written by Sulaiman Waruwu, Tanoto Foundation Riau

Something interesting was happening at SDN 004 Bukit Agung, Riau. That particular morning, the students gathered at the school’s yard. Every one of them was holding a tooth brush and a glass of water. Although chatters and laughter could be heard from these students, they were following the instructions of their teachers closely.

Apparently, they were taking part in training to encourage hygienic and healthy living habits. In addition to learning how to brush their teeth properly, the students also learned to wash their hands with soap. This is one of the efforts to encourage schools and their stakeholders to have hygienic habits.

In addition, students are also required to pick a minimum of ten pieces of trash before they go home every day. The pieces of trash are then sorted out according to their type and stored in the school’s trash banks. There are two types of trash management. First, tin cans and plastic bottles are recycled to be wall decoration and teaching aids. Second, organic waste is processed into compost and used to fertilize plants inside the school area. The school and students are happy to learn that most of the compost was sold to the surrounding community.

After being trained by Tanoto Foundation, the school is now implementing the activities mentioned above. Through different kinds of training, Tanoto Foundation encourages teachers to improve their class rooms’ condition so students could study comfortably as well as understand the importance of hygienic habits.

“Thank you, Tanoto Foundation for the training. The support has motivated us to create a better school environment. This program is also very appropriate to support students to learn more about their environment, “said Elfidawati M.Pd., the principal of SDN 004 Bukit Agung.

SDN 004 Bukit Agung is one of 322 schools in North Sumatra, Riau and Jambi which receive support from Tanoto Foundation. Programs of Tanoto Foundation at school level include providing support so schools are more environment-friendly and facilities such as toilets so students could continue to maintain hygienic habits.

Public space is a crucial matter in any urban areas, including Jakarta. Because of the region’s need in and development of residential and commercial areas, open spaces that would allow children to play, learn, and interact with each other have significantly decreased. Realizing that this is an important matter for the city and people of Jakarta, the Provincial Government has been actively encouraging efforts to build integrated and child-friendly public spaces.

Such effort is managed by Jakarta Family Empowerment and Welfare Team and spear headed by the spouse of Jakarta’s Governor, Veronica Tan Purnama. To implement this initiative, the Provincial Government has been working with the private sector and organizations, including Tanoto Foundation. To commemorate this commitment, all involved parties took part in a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony in Family Planning and Women Empowerment Body Office in Cempaka Putih on May 8, 2015.

The integrated child-friendly public space will provide outdoor playground for schools, including early childhood development centers, from the surrounding areas. As part of Tanoto Foundation efforts to improve quality of education, it will support some of the early childhood development centers that are located around these public spaces.  Tanoto Foundation’s support include school building renovations, provision of teaching aids and learning tools, as well as training for teachers to support their certification process.  These centers will also play a key role in maintaining the public spaces together with the Family Empowerment and Welfare Team and community members.

“The support from Tanoto Foundation is in line with the vision of Tanoto Foundation’s founders, Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto. We have been involved in efforts to alleviate poverty through education, empowerment and enhancement. To realize this vision and ensure the sustainability of the program, we collaborate with the Government and surrounding community,” said Sihol Aritonang, Executive Director of Tanoto Foundation.

To date, Tanoto Foundation has supported two early childhood educations centers in North Jakarta. Tanoto Foundation also collaborates with more than 320 schools in North Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau to improve their quality of education.

Thursday, 30 April 2015 – Today, Tanoto Foundation held the Sayap Garuda Scholars Gathering in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau. Over 190 scholarship recipients attended the event, many of whom are Elementary, Secondary, and High School students.

Sayap Garuda Foundation is a scholarship program from Tanoto Foundatio and other corporate partners, dedicated for children of RGE Group’s employees. The programs are implemented in North Sumatera Riau, and Jambi. Up to this day, Tanoto Foundation and corporate partners have rewarded scholarship to 2.263 students and university students through Sayap Garuda Foundation.

The annual gathering is held to strengthen the bond between Tanoto Foundation, RGE Group, corporations, and the scholarship recipients. In line with the theme that is “Learn and Lead” the scholarship recipients, or more widely known as Tanoto Scholars, undertook various activities including fun games to build their group-work and leadership capacities.

“Tanto Foundation was established by my parents, Mr. Sukanto Tanoto and Mrs. Tinah Tanoto, to support the effort in tackling poverty through three pillars: education, empowerment, and enhancement of quality of lives. In the realm of education, we support the improvement of accessibility and quality of education in Indonesia,” Anderson Tanoto, one of the Board Member of Trustees of Tanoto Foundation, stated.

“Sayap Garuda Scholarship program is part of our effort to raise the accessibility of education, as wide as we can, to all high-achieving families of RGE Group’s employees. Overall, Tanoto Foundation has rewarded scholarship to more than 5.200 students and university students, as well as forging partnership with 28 universities in Indonesia,” Anderson Tanoto added.

In improving the quality of education, Tanoto Foundation has partnered with over 320 schools in North Sumatera, Riau, and Jambi. The programs they manage include teachers’ capacities development in classroom teaching, students’ training on being health and clean conscious, as well as the support for students to become more of avid readers.

In the realm of community empowerment, Tanoto Foundation works with PT. Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper as the corporate partner. One of their programs is to train 3.400 farmers in Integrated Farming System. Tanoto Foundation also work with other corporate partners, including Asian Agri. The program includes the effort to raise the income of more than 29.000 farmers who manage over 60.000 hectares of palm oil plantation.

Sedangkan dalam bidang peningkatan kualitas hidup untuk masyarakat, Tanoto Foundation bersama mitra korporasi melakukan berbagai kegiatan seperti pelaksanaan program kesehatan dan pembangunan sarana air bersih dan sanitasi.

In the realm of enhancement of quality of lives, Tanoto Foundation and corporate partners have  undertaken several activities including health awareness programs and the building of clean water and sanitation system.

For further information, please contact the following :

Lestari Boediono, Head of Corporate Communications

Phone: +62 21 392 3189, Fax: +62 21 392 3324

Email: lestari_boediono@www.tanotofoundation.org

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About Tanoto Foundation

Tanoto Foundation, which was established by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, has a vision to become a center of excellence in the effort for Poverty Alleviation through Education, Empowerment, and Enhancement of Quality of Lives. In the realm of education, Tanoto Foundation supports the improvement of accessibility and quality of education in Indonesia. In the realm of education, Tanoto Foundation has reward scholarship for undergraduate and postgraduate students, conduct programs to increase the quality of education through PELITA Education in North Sumatera, Riau, and Jambi in partnership with APRIL and Asian Agri, organize National Champion Scholarship and Regional Champion Scholarship program, Advanced Education Support that supports the development of applied research in universities, as well as other educational partnership programs. In the realm of community empowerment, Tanoto Foundation has held support programs for small and micro enterprises, as well as raising the income of the public, both independently and through CSR programs with other corporate partners, particularly APRIL and Asian Agri. In the realm of enhancement of quality of lives, Tanoto Foundation actively supports disaster victims in many areas, by improving the access to clean water and other health programs, including cataract surgery, and other free health programs.

For further information, please visit: staging2-tanotofoundation-org.averis.emerain.net