Jakarta, 22 August 2016 - PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) participated in supporting the improvement of early childhood education quality by making a donation to the Early Childhood Development Integrative Holistic program (ECD HI/PAUD), a project initiated by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The donation, worth Rp 850 million, was submitted by BCA President Jahja Setiaatmadja to the UNICEF Head of Representative Office in Indonesia Gunilla Olsson, witnessed by BCA Corporate Secretary Inge Setiawati, Head of BCA CSR Sapto Rachmadi, and UNICEF Indonesia Education Specialist Widodo Suhartoyo in Jakarta, Monday (22 / 8).
"Education is the spearhead of progress in a nation. In Indonesia, education is the ideals of the nation, contained in the preamble of the 1945 Constitution as an institution that was born and developed in this country. BCA is proud to participate in the realization of these ideals, by contributing to enhancing education achievements in the nation. BCA supported this through donations given at HI Early Childhood Program," Jahja explained.
HI Early Childhood Program was launched by the government through Presidential Decree No. 60/2013 to improve early childhood education quality and participation rates in Papua. The program will include advocacy and coordination, from districts to villages, to increase awareness on the importance of early childhood education, offer training for program providers and parents, identify community-based early childhood education, and build a monitoring and evaluation system. The program will be implemented in 20 ECDs in Sorong and Raja Ampat, Papua for 750 children aged 0-6 years and 1500 foster parents / caregivers.
UNICEF Indonesia Representative Gunilla Olsson expressed her appreciation for BCA support. "HI ECD program will start running in Sorong and Raja Ampat. We believe this contribution will bring positive developments since early [education] has an incredibly important role in life. Research shows that within the first 1,000 days, hundreds of brain cells connect every second, and by the age of five, the brain has developed to up to 90%. These connected brain cells make up the building blocks of a child's life. They help determine the development of cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of a child, as well as help their capacity to learn, achieve success, and happiness in the future. The Integrative Holistic early childhood programs prepare children in their golden period in order to obtain a better future "says Gunilla.
In 2014 and 2015, the Bank also supports UNICEF's program for child-friendly education program in Papua. "This program is an implementation of one of Bakti BCA pillars Intelligent Solutions. Through Intelligent Solutions, we actively work to develop programs or collaborate with experienced institutions to improve public education in Indonesia," Jahja concluded.
BCA President Jahja Setiaatmadja (second right) presented a symbolic donation worth Rp 850 million to UNICEF Indonesia Representative Office Head Gunilla Olsson (center), witnessed by BCA Corporate Secretary Inge Setiawati (right), Head of CSR BCA Sapto Rachmadi (left), and UNICEF Indonesia Education Specialist Widodo Suhartoyo (second left) in Jakarta, Monday (22/8). The donation reflected BCA’s commitment to Early Childhood Development Integrative Holistic (ECD HI) program, due to start operating in 20 ECDs in Sorong and Raja Ampat, Papua for 750 children aged 0-6 years and 1500 foster parents / caregivers.
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About PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (as per June 30, 2016)
PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) is one of the leading private banks in Indonesia focusing on business banking transactions, credit loan facilities, and financial solutions for the corporate, commercial and SME, as well as individual customers. At the end of June 2016, BCA facilitated banking transactions for more than 14.8 million customers, through 1,201 branches, 16,974 ATMs, and hundreds of thousands EDC, supported by internet and mobile banking.
Brief Overview of UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child in all of our activities. Along with tourhe partners, we work in 190 countries and regions to turn commitments into practical action, with a focus on special effort to reach out to marginalized children in need, for the good of all children, everywhere.
For more information, please contact :
PT BANK CENTRAL ASIA TBK
Corporate Secretariat Division – Corporate Communication Sub Division
Public Relations Bureau
Address : Jl. MH Thamrin No. 1
Menara BCA Grand Indonesia 20th Floor
Jakarta Pusat
Phone : (021) 2358-8000
Fax : (021) 2358-8300
E-mail : humas@bca.co.id
Kate Rose
Communication Specialist, UNICEF Indonesia
Tel: +628118714894
Email: krose@unicef.org
