Tanjung, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Rumah Semut Children with Special Needs Service Center (PLABK) in Tabalong, South Kalimantan, begins to construct a two story elementary school for children with special needs --with the support of Adaro CSR.
“We currenly have services for children with special needs from playgroup to kindergarten. Meanwhile, the building for elementary school for children with special needs is under construction,” said PLABK Tabalong Manager, Slamet Purwanto, Wednesday.
He said the facilities for playgroup, kinderagrten, and therapy clinic in Murung Pudak Sub-district, built in 2016, were also supported by Adaro. The number of children served by the PLABK, which is under the Taman Mutiara Indonesia Foundation, continues to grow.
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From 2016 to date, 786 children with special needs have received therapy services at PLABK, ranging from occupational therapy, speech therapy, to physiotherapy.
Slamet and his wife, Evi Lukhi Kustanti, along with therapists also provide free service to children with special needs from dhuafa or underprivileged from Tabalong and surrounding areas.
“Children with special needs that we treat not only from Tabalong but also from Hulu Sungai Utara (HSU) to Tamiang Layang, Central Kalimantan. Including from dhuafa, they all receive equal treatment,” said Slamet.
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He truly appreciated Adaro's support, as it is very beneficial for the future of children with special needs as they enter adolescence and adulthood. They will become independent and their works will be recognized.
PT Adaro Indonesia's CSR Supervisor for Education, Muhammad Zulfadeli Rachman, stated that service center for children with special needs, especially in regions, are still rare. That is why, Adaro has been motivated to support the Rumah Semut Center for children with special needs since 2016.
“Services for children with special needs need our common attention. Thus, through the Taman Mutiara Foundation, Adaro continues to support both for facilities and sholarship for therapists,” Zulfadeli explained.
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This support aligns with Adaro Nyalakan Ilmu (Adaro Ignites Science) pillar in education, targeting children with special needs to ensure they develop well.
Initially, PLABK was simply a clinic called Taman Mutiara, providing free services for children with special needs, esepecialy those from low-income families.
This free service began in 2012 and obtained its legality in 2014.
As the number of children with special needs requiring theraphy continued to increase, in 2019 the Rumah Semut playgrouo and kindergarten were established and growing to the current size.
