JAKARTA, 5 September 2018 – The ASEAN Women’s Circle of Jakarta (AWC) has been transforming communities and improving lives through charitable projects and event since its establishment in 1975.
The year 2018 is no different. AWC has held numerous activities for charity throughout the better part of the year so far.
AWC’s Donations to Various Causes
This year, special attention is paid to the needs of women, children and the elderly. Some of their notable contributions included the donation of seven sewing machines to Yayasan Al Hikmah, a foundation for the elderly and children with special needs; a donation of 50,000 pesos (US$933) and hygiene kits for the rehabilitation projects undertaken by Caritas Manila to assist women and children affected by the war in Marawi, Philippines; the donation of musical instruments to a school in Flores; as well as sponsoring aftercare costs for the cleft palate surgery for a little girl, Chaerunisa, through Yayasan Sinar Pelangi Jatibening.
Support for Autism Awareness Day, 7 April 2018
Recognising autism as a growing health issue, AWC took part in the World Autism Awareness Bazaar 2018 organised by Yayasan Mpati. Together with the Indian Mission to ASEAN, AWC helmed a booth at the event, offering creative hands-on craft activities such as henna tattooing, diya (decorative earthen lamps) and découpage. The circle hopes to be able to contribute even more to the global efforts to increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
English Teaching at Sekolah Motivator Ekselensia
Since March, the women from AWC have been teaching English weekly at Sekolah Motivator Ekselensia with the help from Dr. Ross Dunn from New Zealand.
The children at Ekselensia were highly motivated and eager to learn about new countries and cultures. Lessons were supplemented with fun interactive exercises such as roleplaying, singing and even cooking. One of the highlights was a mini food fair where the students had the opportunity to sample tasty traditional snacks from several of the ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners.
Food Festival, 10 April 2018
It is often said that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. AWC’s annual Food Festival in April 2018 proved the saying is certainly true. Delicious traditional food dishes from the ASEAN Member States, Dialogue and Sectoral Partners attracted a crowd which was as generous as they were hungry, and the event managed to raise more than Rp 60 million ($4,024).
Ramadhan Give Back Programme
During the month of Ramadhan, AWC donated food supplies such as instant noodles, dates and cookies to Yayasan Indonesia Hijau and Sekolah Motivator Ekselensia. Iftar meals were presented to Mosque Syarif Hidayatullah in Jalan Wijaya. More than 150 people stopped by the mosque every day for the iftar meal, and they came from all walks of life: taxi drivers, GO-JEK and Grab drivers, ragpickers, and people who unfortunately got stuck in traffic around dusk.
Donation to Lao PDR and Lombok
AWC’s donations support not just those in Jakarta but also other parts of Indonesia and the ASEAN family in times of need. Following the earthquakes in Lombok, AWC donated funds as well as basic supplies through Saya Perempuan Anti-Korupsi (SPAK) to the people from Sukadana, Anyar and Karang Bajo villages. In response to the tragedy of the collapsed dam in Attapeu province in Lao PDR, AWC also donated $2,000 to help the Lao government with emergency relief efforts and humanitarian assistance.
