The First Education and Business Forum
Company-Community Partnerships for Health in Indonesia (CCPHI) has launched an Education and Business Forum (EBF) at the request of Pertamina Foundation (a new division of PT Pertamina, the state-owned oil and gas company and a member of CCPHI's Health and Business Roundtable Indonesia/HBRI). The Forum will become a community and network of companies and other organizations that share interests in education in Indonesia. Discussions will look for ways to improve education in Indonesia, such as how to reduce the number of school dropouts, through innovative partnerships involving companies.
The first EBF met on November 23, 2011 hosted by Pertamina Foundation and attended by 36 participants representing the Indonesia Teacher's Association, two universities, eight companies, and eleven NGOs. The Consortium of Bikes for Schools Indonesia (Konsorsium Sepeda Sekolah Indonesia or KSSI), formed by a group of seven organizations, gave a presentation on its Bikes for School Program (Sepeda untuk Sekolah or SUS), - a partnership between PT. Pertamina and KSSI.
PT. Pertamina donated 3,800 bicycles to KSSI for distribution to selected schools in 11 districts/municipalities in seven provinces in Java and Sumatra near Pertamina areas of operation. The purpose of this partnership was to prevent elementary school students from dropping out of school due to transportation costs as well as to increase awareness of energy saving at early ages, reduce gas emissions, and improve the local bicycle industry. The partnership began in 2009 and ended in 2010. In 2011, Pertamina adopted this program as one of its CSR activities to empower communities living around its areas of operation.
A second EBF is scheduled in February 2012 and will be hosted by PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur.