BANDUNG STREET KIDS PROJECT, INDONESIA

The Rotary Club of Hyde Park is a proud sponsor of the Bandung Street Kids Project run by the Rotary Club of Bandung Braga Metropolitan in Indonesia.
 
The Bandung Street Kids Program (BSKP) was initiated in 2010 by the Rotary Club of Bandung Braga Metropolitan (RCBBM) to make a difference in the lives of street kids who have no responsible care-givers, in Bandung, a large city east of Jakarta in West Java, Indonesia.  In that year the Rotary Club of Hyde Park (RCHP) joined RCBBM to prepare a submission for the Program that included tasking RCHP to provide assistance with the preparation of the submission, audit the proposed financials and send a member on a visit to RCBBM to discuss the final submission. With acceptance of the submission, the RCHP committed to a A$6 000 three year funding arrangement to enable a solid start to the development of the program, which commenced with five street kids supervised on a 24/7 basis in a small rented facility, all managed by RCBBM.
 
 
 
Now, the BSKP Home for Girls, located on a large plot of land in a very pleasant rural setting just outside of Bandung, provides a loving home and education for the highest risk group of street kids, homeless girls who have no responsible care-givers. RCBBM identifies girls from the streets who are at high risk of abuse, neglect or a future in prostitution. If the girls happen to have parents or someone who is responsible for them, RCBBM outreach workers help the responsible person(s) to see that it is better for the girls to be in the program rather staying on the streets. Only with agreement from the care-givers are the girls accepted into the House, where they have a loving home and learn about social values, discipline, health and hygiene. All of the girls go to school and receive medical care. Older girls are mentored and coached vocationally into jobs.
 
The Rotary Club of Bandung Braga Metropolitan keeps the Bandung Street Kids project operating through donations. In 2014 a formal Association was set up to drive future development and expansion. A project team is responsible for the day-to-day running of the program. The Project Leader is appointed by and reports to the Association to ensure that financial and executive control remains with the Association.
 
So, what is the role of The Rotary Club of Hyde Park? The Club was a generous founder of the Bandung Street Kids Project with the initial donation and personally funded visits by Club member Rodger Thomas. Rodger, currently Director of the International Committee at RCHP, was a Charter Member of the Bandung Rotary Club and was the 2nd President. He is a regular visitor to Indonesia and Bandung. On his most recent sixth visit in June 2016 during Ramadan, a period of reduced activity, he found the children were all in good health and enjoying their time at the Home. An extensive report reviewing progress and on-going needs was prepared and presented at a meeting of the RCBBM. A number of items considered necessary for advancement of the Project and education and enjoyment for the children were purchased, including 2 laptop computers from Australia and 2 TVs from Bandung.
 
With the obvious success of the start-up phase completed, the Project is now escalating to gradually include more children and provide more services as funding becomes available. Supporting the Project with funds and material items is important to ensure that the children are not only educated but also entertained through social media exposure to world events. The Rotary Club of Hyde Park actively encourages the community to support the very important Bandung Street Kids Project with on-going donations.