KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has opened a rehabilitation center for disabled children in Medan on the island of Sumatra.
AMSTELVEEN/ MEDAN – The center accommodates around 100 children, who will be offered physiotherapy and remedial therapy at the center. The children are also given social guidance in reintegrating into society.
The center sprang to life at the initiative of the charity organization Wings of Support, which consists of KLM flight personnel, KLM AirCares, KLM’s charity program, and Sharing Success, a participation fund for entrepreneurs. The day-to-day management of the center is taken care of by the Indonesian Bhakti Luhur Foundation, which offers disabled children a roof over their heads and support at various locations throughout Indonesia.
KLM decided to start building the center days after the tsunami on December 26, 2004. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, KLM provided emergency relief to the Cooperative Aid Organizations (Samenwerkende Hulporganisaties – SHO) by offering to send cargo shipments to the stricken areas at no charge. However, to provide structural support, KLM decided to join forces with Sharing Success, with whom KLM had also worked with in the past to improve the position of disabled children in Indonesia. The facilities for children with a handicap are very limited in Indonesia and they are generally forced to rely heavily on support from their parents or guardians. The tsunami made it impossible for many parents to care for their children, affecting this vulnerable group all the more. Thanks to the support of the Bhakti Luhur Foundation, disabled children can now be taken care of at the new center in Medan.
It cost around EUR 100,000 to build the rehabilitation center, which has been fittingly named “Biru Nan Aman” (the Blue Ark). The lion’s share of this amount – EUR 68,000 – was financed on the basis of donations made by KLM employees. The remaining amount was contributed by Sharing Success. In addition to money, KLM also collected and donated frequent flyer miles to enable nurses from the center to travel to the Netherlands for free to follow supplementary medical training.