JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Government of DKI Jakarta Province alongside Apical, Tanoto Foundation and T.CARE launched Rumah Anak SIGAP (SIGAP Children's Home), an early childhood center in Ciracas, East Jakarta. Rumah Anak SIGAP is established with an aim of improving the quality of early learning and childhood care for children aged 0-3 years.

Rumah Anak SIGAP, situated in RPTRA Jaya Makmur, was constructed using funding from residents in Jakarta, primarily the Kelapa Dua Wetan area in Ciracas, East Jakarta. Funding channelled by these residents were derived from their sales exchange of used cooking oil (UCO), a circular initiative led by Apical, a member of RGE, a global group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto and committed to developing resources sustainably. The UCO collected will be processed by Apical into renewable energy (EBT), namely biofuel.

The launch was officiated by the Deputy Mayor of East Jakarta, Hendra Hidayat, accompanied by Tanoto Foundation's Head of Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED), Eddy Henry; Head of Bioenergy Apical, Aika Yuri Winata; and the Chairman of the T.CARE Foundation, Hendra Ikhwan. Tanoto Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization founded by Sukanto Tanoto and his wife, Tinah Bingei Tanoto.

With regards to early childhood care, the Department of Education from the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta, will work alongside Rumah Anak SIGAP to conduct various educational and training for parents and children, with a primary focus on early childhood learning, care and toddler parenting.

"On behalf of the East Jakarta Administrative City Government, I appreciate what Apical, Tanoto Foundation and T.CARE have done. I hope that this early childhood program that will be carried out at Jatinegara State Kindergarten, Duren Sawit State Kindergarten, and the newly established Rumah Anak SIGAP at RPTRA Jaya Makmur will run smoothly, with possibilities of expanding to other locations in the East Jakarta area," said Hendra Hidayat.

Hendra Hidayat added: "The government and society must work together to improve the quality of child-friendly public facilities and infrastructure. In 2022, East Jakarta City won the Main Category Child Friendly City Award. This year, with the support of all parties, we have to be even better."

Head of Bioenergy Apical, Aika Yuri Winata highlighted that by working together to collect UCO (instead of disposing it), East Jakarta residents will not only protect the environment but also, benefit from economic gains. "The UCO collected by residents is valued at a good price, and the profit from collecting UCO is used to build and operate Rumah Anak SIGAP here in Jaya Makmur. More than that, the collected UCO is processed again into biofuel, which is an energy source with low greenhouse gases (GHG)," said Aika.

Aika added that Apical is proud to work alongside the government, residents of East Jakarta, Tanoto Foundation and T.CARE to provide good early childhood learning, care and stimulation centers for the betterment of the nation.

"The Rumah Anak SIGAP program at RPTRA Jaya Makmur is the first project that was realized from the result of collecting UCO by East Jakarta residents. On an ongoing basis, we will build more Rumah Anak SIGAPs in other locations, in collaboration with our partners, Tanoto Foundation and T.CARE," continued Aika.

"We invite East Jakarta residents, and Indonesian citizens throughout the archipelago to continue to such initiatives and partnerships like this. Let's educate the nation's children and protect environment together."

Head of ECED Tanoto Foundation Eddy Henry shared that proper early childhood care is the foundation for creating a superior generation of Indonesian. "Tanoto Foundation is committed to supporting the government in advancing Indonesia's human resource through programs that target early childhood. Good parenting provides opportunities for children to grow healthy and develop optimally," said Eddy.

Eddy added: "The impact of the investment we give to children from an early age is long-term until they grow up. Through the SIGAP Children's Home, we pay more attention to early childhood so that superior Indonesian generation can be realized."

The UCO donation program is also an effort that shows support for the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government as it relates to the DKI Jakarta Governor Regulation Number 77 of 2020 concerning Waste Management within the communities.

As a KSBB (Large-Scale Social Collaboration) Aggregator Partner on DKI Jakarta Solid Waste, T.CARE strives to continue collaborating with the community in waste management and environmental sustainability, one of which is the Jelantah Donation Program. In this program, T.CARE educates the public about the dangers of UCO contamination if it is disposed indiscriminately, and provides information that UCO has a sale value if it is properly processed into alternative fuels such as biofuel.

Rumah Anak SIGAP is established by developing a service model that aims to equip families to be able to provide care that supports optimal growth and development of children aged 0-3 years as a whole (holistic) that integrated with services for other children's essential needs.

The range of services available at Rumah Anak SIGAP include thematic parenting group activities, stimulation activities by playing, individual assistance (parents and children), home visits, and various other support activities.

About Tanoto Foundation

Tanoto Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization in the field of education founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981 on the belief that every individual should have the opportunity to realize their full potential. Tanoto Foundation's philosophy is quality education accelerates equal opportunity.

That's why we harness the transformative power of education to realize people's potential and improve skill. The three pillars of Tanoto Foundation's commitment are improving the learning environment, developing future leaders, and facilitating medical research.

Website: www.tanotofoundation.org 

About Apical

Apical is a leading vegetable oil processor with an expanding global footprint. Our vertically integrated mid-stream refining and value-added downstream processing makes us an integral supplier that supports the food, feed, oleochemicals and renewable fuel needs across industries.

With integrated assets in strategic locations spanning Indonesia, China and Spain, Apical operates numerous refineries, oleochemical plants, renewable fuel plants and kernel crushing plants. Through joint ventures and strategic partnerships, Apical also has processing and distribution operations in Brazil, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Middle East, Africa, USA and Vietnam.

Apical's growth is built on the foundations of sustainability and transparency, and motivated by our strong belief that we can make a more meaningful impact even as we continue to grow our business and deliver innovative solutions to our customers. For more information, please visit: www.apicalgroup.com.

About T.CARE

T.CARE is a philanthropic organization that focuses on the development of each region starting from the aspects of environment, education, health, economic independence, and disaster mitigation. T.CARE itself prioritizes measurable program planning that implemented with monitoring and evaluation to achieve sustainable development goals. In addition, T.CARE helps implement Social Brand, Social Investment, Social Mapping, Measuring Impact CSR (Social Return On Investment), and Sustainability Report (SR) based on GRI, POJK 51/2017 and BUMN Ministerial Regulation 5/2021.

T.CARE is an aggregator for DKI Jakarta KSBB Garbage which is active in many related programs, such as waste bank, maggot cultivation, used cooking oil, to office/apartment waste reduction. T.CARE also support economic independence with MSME empowerment program. Apart from that, there is also a scholarship program for orphans with achievements as an implementation of developing aspects of education and T.CARE Quick Response as quick actions such as vaccination centers and disaster posts. For more information, visit www.tcare.id

Source: Apical Group