Padang Pariaman, Kemitraan – The school and public health center reconstruction program is not merely to help people regain their normal life by having education and health facilities, but also to make the process of providing the facilities as a means to achieve sustainable development and to strengthen good governance practices. These were the comments of Kemitraan bagi Pembaruan tata Pemerintahan Executive Director Wicaksono Sarosa from Tuesday (20/04/2010) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of SDN (public school) 10 Sungai Limau, Padang Pariaman. Besides the school, the event also marked the beginning of the reconstruction process of the Public Health Center Lubuk Alung, Padang Pariaman.
The reconstruction program is part of a one year collaboration program between AXIS and Kemitraan, titled: “Integrated Recovery Program in Padang Pariaman West Sumatera.” This started from sharing the same vision and mission by AXIS agreeing to align with Kemitraan in an integrated post-earthquake recovery project in Padang Pariaman Regency, Padang. AXIS signed an MoU with Kemitraan on Integrated Reconstruction Program in Padang Pariaman on 29th January 2010, and the cooperation is strengthened by the signing of Project Agreement between two parties on 25 February 2010.
“The reconstruction of the school and the public health center should not only be defined as a reconstruction of facilities (in physical terms) but more that it is people development project from the education and health sectors,” said Sarosa.
AXIS President and CEO for Indonesia, Erik Aas in his press release said that the reconstruction process of the school will take approximately four months and will be built using earthquake-resistant building techniques to enable the school to live through the earthquake exposure up to twice the maximum magnitude ever occurred in the region. He further explained that the 600 square meters new school building will have several new facilities, which includes dedicated space for a praying room, library, teacher’s and sport rooms. Not only that, the student’s and teacher’s restroom will be the only restroom in Padang Pariaman that will be built using bio septic tank and using environmental friendly principles.
“By reconstructing the educational infrastructure, we hope we are able to improve the students’ lives and to assist communities regain their footing and prepare for the future,” said Aas. “We plan for the students to be able to return to a new and improved school by a new school year begins in July 2010,” he continued.
Besides the school and public health center reconstruction, AXIS together with Kemitraan will also conduct training on disaster preparedness and on water, Sanitation and Hygiene for the elementary students and local community. From the aspect of disaster governance, Kemitraan will support the disaster preparedness principles to be attached in the basic education curriculum. Furthermore, Kemitraan will support the Padang Pariaman government, with the involvement of the local community, to develop a disaster risk reduction which is in accordance with good governance and gender principles. Kemitraan will then encourage that the disaster risk reduction programs are included in 2011 Padang Pariaman Government Work plan.
