The Pleasure of Giving

A president director of one of the largest textile companies in Indonesia, Marimutu Ganesan, prefers a luxurious hotel to one of the poorest slums in Jakarta as a place to celebrate his birthday. Why would he do that? The following is a letter that expresses his heart.

Dear Friends,

As people often regard me as the most influential person at my company, they like to give me birthday surprises. My birthdays are mostly celebrated at luxurious places, but one of my most memorable birthday celebrations was my 72nd birthday celebrated at one of the poorest slums in the northern part of Jakarta.

I was stunned to see the life of the people in Muara Baru. Many of them live in small houses with no sanitation facilities. Every time they need to urinate or take a shower, they would have to go to the nearest public restrooms in their area. Their homes are really far from being decent. Most of the rooftops are made of corrugated metal, making the temperature in their homes extremely hot during the daytime.

What amazed me was that despite the uncomfortable environment they lived in, the people of Muara Baru had the most sincere smiles I had ever seen. Some of the children enthusiastically sang a happy birthday song for me. They used no musical instruments. It was a very simple performance, yet it was one of the finest birthday gifts I ever received. For a moment, I felt that their joyful faces swept my all of my worries away.

After sharing the birthday cakes with them, the World Harvest team helped me to hand them some goodie bags and food supplies. I also donated some amount of money to their community and granted some scholarships for the children there with a hope that they live a more proper life.

Muara Baru is the complete opposite of a five-star hotel, but visiting that place and sharing hope with the people there has become one of the most joyful experiences of my life. I am very thankful that World Harvest could help me to meet these simple people that have taught me to be thankful for everything I have.

Yours,

Marimutu Ganesan

School Building Completed in Kampung Melayu

October 25, 2011 was a bright day for the students of Wahana Harapan Elementary School in Kampung Melayu. Not only because the weather was nice, but also because their school building was finally completed. For two years, the school building had been used for teaching and learning activities despite its shortcomings; the walls had not been fully painted, it had no glass windows and the second storey building had not been completed. But now, the school has turned into a much more comfortable place to study.

For the people who live in Kampung Melayu, the school gives them hope for a better future. Before the school was established, so many children from the district had to drop out of school as they could not afford to pay for tuition. Wahana Harapan Elementary School has raised their hope from the ashes of despair. Currently, 77 children from poor families in the district enjoy quality education we provide through the school. Their parents no longer need to worry about how they are going to pay for the school fee as all of the students there are sponsored by World Harvest.

Better education can help people to get better jobs. Thus, we believe that education can help them to get out of poverty. Thanks to all of our partners, who also believe in what we believe and support our education services. Together we can turn poverty into prosperity.

Supporting Education in the Remote Area of Aceh

For some, having an education is a luxury. That happens to the people of Sawang village, a remote area in the north of Aceh. The village did not have any kindergartens, until five years ago when a Community Transformation Center (CTC) was built in the area. For many years, the children who lived in the village had to walk three kilometers to go to the nearest kindergarten in another village, until World Harvest opened a kindergarten at its CTC.

Currently, 40 children are enrolled at our kindergarten in Sawang village. Most of the children’s parents did not have the chance to learn at formal schools, but thanks to the CTC, their children can have the chance to get better education. At the CTC, they learn to draw, read and improve their creativity through many fun activities. Nowadays, there are even more parents who send their children to the kindergarten as they see that education is a potential tool to improve their livelihoods.

There are still a lot of things we should do to help the people in this remote village. There are still so many schools needed to be built, more books and educational toys needed to be provided for the children. Let us provide them the chance to live a better life.