30 April 2010 | Jakarta
JAKARTA - A new US$9.6 million partnership between Indonesia, Australia, and the United States will rebuild earthquake damaged schools in West Sumatra.
The support will focus on approximately 40 of the most severely damaged primary schools in the province, enabling about 6,500 children to return to formal education.
"Working together, our three countries can help to ensure children in West Sumatra are able to return to safer schools after the earthquake in September 2009," said Professor Suyanto, the Director General for Management of Primary and Secondary Education at the Ministry of National Education.
"No building is 100% earthquake resistant, but we can reduce the impact and save lives by building safer schools," said Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Bill Farmer. "Australia's contribution builds on our long term work supporting school construction across the country and assisting Indonesia to meet its education goals."
The new schools will meet Indonesian earthquake standards and the reconstruction will be done by local communities using local building materials.
"Our partnership with Indonesia has a strong focus on education reform and development. This effort is very much in line with that aim," said the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Cameron Hume. "These new schools will give children a safe and modern physical environment in which to learn."
For more information please contact Roman Woronowycz, USAID Outreach and Communications at 021 3435 9424 or Natasha Simpson, AusAID Public Affairs at 0812 106 9106.
For further information on U.S. Embassy activities, visit http://jakarta.usembassy.gov, or follow us on Twitter@usembassyjkt.