The Giggle Guide™ Helps Support Kampung Kids in Indonesia

The African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child,” could not hold more true for us at The Giggle Guide^®. As a comprehensive online destination for information related to the children’s marketplace, we are committed to the industry we represent: children. Like everyone in the children’s business, we are fortunate to be a part of the “business of youth,” and want to give back and make a difference in the lives of children who are innocent victims of their environment.

Kampung Kids Helps Youth in Indonesia

The Giggle Guide^® has developed a relationship with Kampung Kids, a grassroots organization that provides nutrition, health care and education for needy children in Jakarta, Indonesia, who are living in squalor in “Kampungs” (large camps) with their families. The organization, formed a decade ago, had a modest beginning in a garage where soup, rice, fruit, juice and milk were provided to approximately 30 local children. As a result of the economic crisis in Jakarta in 1999, Kampung Kids began serving soup and rice to nearly 150 children and a cup of milk to 50 children ages 5 and under and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers. These numbers have steadily grown in the 10 years since Kampung Kids’ inception.

The Giggle Guide^® Helps Support Kampung Kids

Kampung Kids remains focused on the important issues of nutrition and health care, but is also committed to educating children so they become self-sufficient and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. To this end, The Giggle Guide^® pledged last May that for every 10 Premium Business Packages sold it would sponsor a child in need for a full year, and also make a donation to help underprivileged children, women and the elderly who are striving to make a change in their lives. To date, The Giggle Guide^® supports six elementary school students. “As a result of The Giggle Guide’s sponsorship, these students have uniforms, a school bag, school shoes, text books and exercise books, and their school fees, lunches, examination fees and graduation costs are paid for,” says The Giggle Guide^® co-founder/editor Leesa Valentino.

For Leesa, who has personally visited Kampung Kids in Indonesia, the charity is dear to her heart. She has sponsored a child in need every year since 2001, thanks to her mother, Lucille, who first introduced her to the organization. She believes strongly in Kampung Kids, its message, commitment and kindness, and therefore encouraged The Giggle Guide^® to forge its own sponsorship relationship. “This connection is so vital because we feel it’s important to remember who the industry represents, and that is children,” says Valentino. “While our relationship is not yet a year old, we are certainly making a difference and hope to be sponsoring at least 12 children by the end of our first year in May, 2010. We are grateful to all our sponsors of The Giggle Guide^® for their support that makes these contributions possible.”

This July, Kampung Kids will make a difference in the lives of a record-breaking 800 students through various sponsorships.

Helping the Kampung Kids—Count the Ways

Feeding Program
Soup and rice is distributed three times a week in four Kampungs. It is provided to more than 700 children under 16 and pregnant and nursing mothers deemed at risk.

Well-Baby/Birth Control Clinic
Operated once per week at the Community Center by a doctor and/or a nurse, it currently assists over 700 children under 5 and pregnant and nursing mothers. This program provides fever medication, vitamins, nutritional monitoring, basic medicines, birth control, and referrals to other local doctors.

Hygiene Classes
Run once per week in all six Kampungs to provide people with essential knowledge on hygiene and disease prevention.

Scholarships
Provided for children whose families have proven they cannot afford school fees. Currently there are 742 children enrolled.

Ladies Sewing and Work Program.
Provides women with a new skill and the chance to earn additional income through sales of the products at bazaars. This course is constantly expanded.

Bahasa English Classes
Run once per week to provide an additional skill, build self-esteem and increase job opportunities to interested children from the Kampungs. Currently, there are 541 children taking these classes.

Playgroup
Provides essential play and cognitive development learning to approximately 683 pre-school children.

Computer Classes
Run twice per week for 119 students in order to provide additional skills, self-esteem and greater job opportunities.

For more information on Kampung Kids, visit www.kampungkids.org