Forest fires in different areas in Indonesia, particularly areas in Sumatra, have become a serious problem for Indonesia. The resulting losses are rather difficult to calculate as they affect most aspects of life. Health problems, a complete halt in transportation modes, and near extinction of several types of fauna and flora could be linked to the effect of forest fires. In Riau alone, the resulting losses are estimated to reach Rp 20 trillion per year.

Of course this problem cannot be resolved only by the government. There should be cooperation between the government, private sector, and members of the communities to overcome impact of forest fires. One of the private sector parties that has been actively mobilizing efforts to overcome forest fires is PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (PT RAPP) which is also one of Tanoto Foundation’s corporate partners.

PT RAPP has actively been supporting the community since 2008 to become the agent for overcoming forest fire problems. This is carried out by facilitating the establishment of Community for Forest Fire Prevention. CFFP is a group of community members with the main function of reducing the risk of forest and land fires as well as participating actively in case of disasters.

PT RAPP has facilitated the establishment of 32 CFFP with total members of around 480 people in various areas in Riau Province. A total of 62 training activities was carried out to provide knowledge and techniques of fire-fighting to the members. In addition, PT RAPP also gives equipment and supplies for putting out forest and land fires to each CFFP.

The establishment of CFFP is expected to help coordination among all involved parties, namely the community, companies, and government. If undertaken intensively, such coordination can accelerate the process of overcoming problems brought by forest fires. CFFP is also expected to support the crucial involvement of community members and be the front-line guarding troops in preventing forest fires.

Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok,) and Trustee of Tanoto Foundation, Anderson Tanoto, inaugurated Bougenville Early Childhood Development Center (PAUD) in Rorotan, North Jakarta, on Saturday, December 13, 2014.

Tanoto Foundation support for PAUD Bougenville includes building class rooms, teacher’s room, and additional space for children teaching and learning activities as well as providing furniture and equipment for children outdoor activities. To support teaching and learning process, Tanoto Foundation also trains teachers in topics such as leadership, management of small library, and assurance of quality of education. In addition, Tanoto Foundation also supports empowerment of the surrounding community members so they could plan and carry out different initiatives that would provide income that subsequently would also be used to support the school.

“The period between zero to six is the golden years of children development process. During this period, 80% of children vital brain development takes place. In accordance with the spirit and passion of Tanoto Foundation, we work with different partners, including the Government and community members to ensure that the youth of Indonesia has access to quality education for all levels. In this connection, our focus is on early childhood education that includes development of children physical and cognitive skills,” said Anderson Tanoto, Trustee of Tanoto Foundation.

The Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, mentioned that “Education for children is very important and is one of the focus of the Government of Jakarta. I appreciate the partnership of the Government with relevant parties, including Tanoto Foundation, to improve quality of education in Jakarta.”

To support the improvement of education quality, Tanoto Foundation has been supporting 300 schools and PAUD in North Sumatra, Riau, and Jambi. PAUD Bougenville is the second pilot project supported by Tanoto Foundation in Jakarta. PAUD Kenanga 17 in Rusunawa Waduk Pluit, Muara Baru, Jakarta, was inaugurated in March this year.

Having a young age is not an obstacle to achieve high results. According to Randy Rentanaka, an 11th grade student from SMA Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo, Medan, North Sumatra, results could be achieved whenever, wherever, and by whomever, as long as the person has the will and diligence. One of the achievements of this 16 year old was winning the “Novice Champion” prize at USU Be Pro 2014, a debate competition that used International standards and was open for public.
“Debate is one way to improve skills and knowledge in a relatively short time,” Randy said. He also added that this was the first time for him to achieve such a high result in a competition. Together with his partner, Cecilia Indriyani, they had to compete with other high school and even university students. They won the “Novice Champion” prize after going against three other teams from different universities during the Final Round. In addition to achieving the “Novice Champion” prize, the school where Randy is from, SMA Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo, also achieved “Best High School” and “Best Speaker” prizes in this competition.
Randy, who has been receiving Tanoto Youth Scholarship for the past four years, was very excited that Tanoto Foundation assisted the students to take part in this prestigious competition. Randy and his team members practiced every day with other students and teachers. According to Randy, he was motivated to give his best because of the support from his family, friends, and Tanoto Foundation.
Although Randy had competed in the same competition previously and was not successful, he did not let that failure deter him. He pushed himself to keep practicing and finally obtained the excellent result in 2014.
As one of Tanoto Foundation’s partner schools in North Sumatra, SMA Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo appreciates greatly the support of the Foundation. Through Tanoto Foundation, students who have financial limitations but also have strong academic achievements can still continue their education, even until university level. Currently, Tanoto Foundation provides scholarship for 15 SMA Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo students.