Realizing Social Empathy, BCA Donates Rp1.345 Billion to UNICEF & WWF

Jakarta, 16 November 2018 – PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA), through the Bakti BCA program, reaffirms its consistent commitment in the realization of social care in the community. This time, BCA provides value added for the community by channeling donations to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for Holistic Integrative Early Childhood Education (HI ECD) in Sorong and Raja Ampat Regency, West Papuaand donations to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) for Mangrove Planting Program at Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten. BCA donated a total of Rp1.354 billion to WWF and UNICEF, divided into Rp850 million for UNICEF and Rp504 million for WWF.

Attending the symbolic handing over of the donation was Director of BCA Subur Tan, Executive Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of BCA Inge Setiawati, Vice President of CSR of BCA Rizali Zakaria, Chief of Private Fundraising and Partnership UNICEF Indonesia Gregor Henneka, Director of Conservation of WWF Indonesia Lukas Adhyakso, and Director of Partnership WWF Indonesia Ade Swargo Mulyo in Jakarta, Friday (16/11).

Subur said that the value of BCA donation made to UNICEF for the period of 2017 – 2018 reached Rp850 million, and for the period of 2018 – 2019 amounting to Rp850 million, meanwhile financial assistance channeled to WWF, for the period 2017 – 2018, reached Rp463 million, and Rp504 million for the period of 2018 – 2019. “The collaboration between BCA and UNICEF focuses on developing quality early childhood in Indonesia, whereas our collaboration with WWF puts empahises on the NEWtrees program, a reforestation effort for critical habitat mangrove forests, at Ujung Kulon National Park,” said Subur.

BCA made donations of Rp850 million to UNICEF for the period of 2018-2019 for the HI-ECD program. HI-ECD is an effort to meet the diverse essential needs in early childhood that are integrated and interrelated in a holistic manner. The general objective of the Community-Based HI-ECD is to realize healthy, smart, happy Indonesian children, with a good moral compass. The program is set to achieve a total of 900 children aged 0 – 6 years and 500 foster parents/caregivers, orang tua atau pengasuh, so as to provide the best stimulation, whether in ECDs or at home.

The collaboration of BCA and UNICEF aims to assist the Government of West Papua and select regencies, namely Sorong and Raja Ampat, to carry out Government Regulations 60/2013 regarding the Holistic-Integrarive Early Childhood Development. “Through the collaboration, we wish an improved coordination between relevant government agencies, starting from the Education Office, Health Office, Social Affair Office, Village Community Empowerment Agency, and other relevant agencies to create alternative community-based ECD models that corresponds with the Papuans,” explained Subur.

As of now, the HI-ECD programs have made a number of breakthroughs that contribute to improving the quality education in Indonesia, which include the establishment of ECD HI-ECD groups in Sorong and Raja Ampat to coordinate cross-sectoral HI-ECD programs as well as to implement HI-ECD in 13 ECD clusters in Sorong and 12 ECD clusters in Raja Ampat, with a total of 878 student beneficiaries.

A total of 75 teachers of ECD and health team also received training and workshops to increase intelligence and competence. "We also look at the importance of the involvement of teachers, parents, and the community in the Pre-Literacy and hygiene health programs. Therefore, we also develop cross-sectoral services at HI-ECD such as the initiation of the washing hands with soap (CTPS – cuci tangan pakai sabun) facility and clean, healthy living behaviors (PHBS – perilaku hidup bersih sehat)," said Subur.

The various UNICEF programs that have received support from BCA include Routine Immunization Program (2008-2010), National Holistic-Integrative Early Childhood Development (HI ECD) (2012-2013), Child-Friendly School Program (2011), Child-Friendly School Program in Papua (2015-2016) and HI-ECD in Papua (2016-2017).

Meanwhile, BCA and WWF also planted mangrove trees in Ujung Kulon National Park, which include the species of Rhizophora apiculate, Rhizophora stylosa, and will later be followed by Avicennia sp. The planting was carried out through a cluster system, which utilizes a set of round bamboos plunged through the soil and arranged in two lines of an isosceles triangle closed-system fence as a breakwater. Each cluster is planted with 20 – 30 trees. Thus, the trees planted remain strong and not easily damaged when hit by waves.

Related to that, the achievement of the cooperation between BCA and WWF from the mangrove planting program in Ujung Kulon National Park throughout the years 2017-2018 has performed well. As of November 2018, the number of clustersthat have been built by BCA and WWF is 153 clusters, with a total surface area of 1.7 hectare (ha) or, all in all, 5 hectares of total planting area. Until now, 7,650 trees have been planted in 153 clusters. BCA and WWF will continue planting mangroves until the end of December 2019.

Lukas Adhyakso, Director of Conservation of WWF-Indonesia, said, “BCA supports for the rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Ujung Kulon National Park play an important role for the conservation of the Javan Rhino. The mangrove ecosystem in Ujung Kulon National Park serves to protect the natural habitat of the Javan Rhino and ensure that the peninsula on the western tip of Java remains connected to allow the rhinos to migrate and survive.”

The Javan Rhinos are critically endangered and live only in Ujung Kulon National Park. The latest data shows that an estimated of 68 individuals remain on the planet. “Since the remaining population lives in a confined habitat, the Javan Rhino is vulnerable to disease outbreak or natural disasters, and therefore is important for rhinos to be able to roam through a wider area in order to save themselves,” continued Adhyakso.

“BCA’s form of concern, which is manifested through the Bakti BCA pogram under the auspices of CSR BCA, is one of our major efforts to bring about positive changes at schools as well as to ensure the safety and well-being of Indonesian children, and alsoto empower people who coexist and are directly connected to the environment, because we see the importance of community empowerment.” We hope that the donations we provide will not only have a positive impact on the environment, but can also create new jobs, which, in turn, will improve the well-being of society,” Subur concluded.

BCA Makes Donation of Rp1.354 Billion to UNICEF & WWF – Director of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) Subur Tan (second left) accompanied by Executive Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of BCA Inge Setiawati (left) symbolically handed over a donation to UNICEF and WWF, directly submitted to Chief of Private Fundraising and Partnership UNICEF Indonesia Gregor Henneka (right) and Director of Conservation of WWF Indonesia Lukas Adhyakso (second right) in Jakarta (16/11). The total donations of Rp1.345 billion provided by BCA to UNICEF and WWF, in part for Holistic Integrative Early Childhood Education (HI ECD) in Sorong and Raja Ampat Regency and for Mangrove Planting in Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten.