Gifts
Abbey Jones is a Reports Writer intern for Mercy Corps Indonesia.
Location:
Jakarta, Indonesia
Recent Posts
Indonesia July 25, 2011 12:47AM
Joining the fanfare: a visit to the RW Siaga Plus+ program
Abbey Jones
Reports Writer Intern , Indonesia
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Children march and sing as part of a recent day of activities for Mercy Corps' RW Siaga Plus+ program, which focuses on improving sanitary conditions in urban Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Abbey Jones/Mercy Corps
I found myself being swept along with the wave of elementary students marching in the streets. Although at first I didn’t know the words to the song they were singing, I soon learned and sang along. We were singing the praises of the RW Siaga Plus+ program, a program focused on improving the sanitary conditions of urban Jakarta, while marching to a healthy lifestyle competition.
While hanging out with the children before the competition, I was amazed to hear them brag about their lifestyle changes as many American children brag about a new pair of shoes or video game on the playground. They all told me about how, because of the RW Siaga Plus+ program, they all wash their hands before eating and after going to the bathroom and always go to the bathroom in the toilet. In some of Jakarta's poorest neighborhoods — where water and sanitary facilities are scarce — this is quite an accomplishment and commitment.
Indonesia June 16, 2011 8:28AM
Working with the World Bank in Jakarta to alleviate flooding and fight climate change
Abbey Jones
Reports Writer Intern , Indonesia
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Jakarta's annual floods deluge and destroy property and displace families. They are especially harmful to the city's poorest neighborhoods. Mercy Corps and the World Bank are working to mitigate these floods and the impact of climate change. Photo: David Evans/Mercy Corps
Flooding in Jakarta — Indonesia's capital and biggest city — is a yearly occurrence that destroys property and displaces families, particularly in poor areas. The World Bank’s Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative — a $150 million project expected to begin implementation later in 2011 — intends to alleviate impacts of the city's annual flooding through the priority rehabilitation and dredging of existing floodways, drains and retentions. But it was a visit from Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Managing Director, to one of the Mercy Corps Climate Resilient Cities-Kelurahan Empowerment Initiative (CRC-KEI) sites that created a new perception for the organization.
