Alongside Tzu Chi, the Elected Vice President of Indonesia Visits the Tzu Chi Village Improvement Program in Kamal Muara

Journalist : Metta Wulandari, Photographer : Arimami Suryo A

Volunteers from the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia, along with Acting Governor of Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono and the elected Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, visited Nurul Islam Madrasah Ibtidaiyah to see firsthand the completed construction project.

Volunteers from the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia welcomed the Acting Governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, and the Indonesian Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to Kamal Muara, specifically to the Tzu Chi Kamal Muara Village Improvement location in RW 04, on Friday, June 28, 2024. During the visit, the Vice Chairman of Tzu Chi Indonesia, Sugianto Kusuma, and Heru Budi, who have been collaborating on the development of healthy housing in Jakarta, provided an overview of the Tzu Chi House Improvement Program to Gibran, highlighting various completed projects in the area.

The Acting Governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, and the Indonesian Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, along with Tzu Chi volunteers, toured Kamal Muara, specifically the Tzu Chi Village Improvement location in RW 04.

"Earlier, we showcased one of the newly built houses as a tangible example. Mr. Aguan (Sugianto Kusuma) also mentioned that beyond constructing homes, the beneficiaries must strive for self-sufficiency, particularly in their economic lives. Hence, Tzu Chi provided business carts to help them achieve financial independence," explained the Acting Governor.

In Kamal Muara, Tzu Chi has completed the construction of 30 houses in RW 01 and RW 04 through four phases. The organization has also rebuilt two mosques and a school. The fifth phase of the house improvement program is now in progress, aiming to support 8 residents in RW 01.

The whole delegation made sure to greet a beneficiary of the village improvement program and shared both inspiring stories and the concepts behind Tzu Chi’s village improvement efforts.

Alongside various construction efforts, Tzu Chi remains committed to supporting the residents of Kamal Muara through diverse activities, from distributing food packages and providing health check-ups to hosting affordable bazaars. On this day, Tzu Chi handed out 1,000 food packages to the community. Additionally, to strengthen the local economy, Tzu Chi is also offering business carts and start-up capital to help ensure the sustainability of local enterprises.

“I believe this visit gave the Vice President the opportunity to see firsthand and understand the issues and challenges the community will face in the future,” said Sugianto Kusuma. “I hope that we can strengthen our cooperation with both the central and local governments and invite other foundations to contribute through their CSR efforts, so that we can work together to solve these national problems,” he continued.

Besides the visit from the Acting Governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 1,000 food packages were distributed to Kamal Muara residents by the volunteers today.

To date, the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government have been committed to the Village Improvement Program, which focuses on the construction and renovation of uninhabitable homes in several priority areas across DKI Jakarta, with an initial target of 100 livable homes.

Translator: Vissia (Tzu Chi School)