Tahija Foundation Profile

Background

Established in Jakarta on the 20th March 1990 by the late Jean and Julius Tahija, the Tahija foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to implement the philanthropic initiatives of the Tahija family and, additionally, the social responsibility initiatives of the Austindo group that fall outside the business-scope of the group’s corporate entities.

The Tahija Foundation was established in Jakarta by the late Mrs Jean and Julius Tahija through a notarial decree on March 21, 1990 then stipulated in the State Decree of the Republic of Indonesia No. 36 dated May 4, 1990. The Foundation takes the central role to channel philantrophic initiatives of the Tahija family. The Foundation also implements and functions as a conduit of the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of the Austindo Group companies when the initiatives initiatives do not relate directly to companies operation.

Founder

The Founding Board wassupported by officers of the Foundation. Activities are carried out primarily through volunteers and partner organizations. Following the enactment of the Laws No. 21, 2001 on Foundation, theFoundation modified its organization to reflect the new Law. Subsequently permanent staff are employed although the thrust to promote partnership remains.

Organizations

A. 1991 – 2002

Founders and Officers:

Mr Julius Tahija

Mrs Jean Tahija

Dr. Sjakon G. Tahija

Ir. George S. Tahija

B. 2003 – 2008

Governor: Dr. Sjakon G. Tahija

Comptroller : Ir. George S. Tahija

Chairperson : A. Wahyuhadi

Secretary : Silvia Novi

Treasurer : Sudaryanto

Program Manager : Titayanto Pieter

Project Manager Dengue : Sukma Tin Aprillya

Librarian : Vicky Tirajoh

Partnership

The Foundation actively seeks and develops viable projects and partners

The Foundation recognizes the challenges in tackling the wide array of issues in its effort to promote improved education, community health and conservation of biological diversity. This is especially true for a vast country like where issues not only vary but also significant in scale. For this reason since it began operation in 1990, the Foundation has forged a wide array of partnerships. In many programs the Foundation matches complementary initiatives to better accomplish mutual goals and ensuresustainability of initiatives.

Other Assistance Program

General Social Services

• Medicine and medical personnel for health services to victims of conflicts and natural disasters, which include those in Maluku (2000 - 2002), Minahasa (February 2006), Yogyakarta and Central Java (May - November 2006), and Pangandaran (July 2006).
  

• Provision of wheel chairs and crutches for victims of May 2006 Yogyakarta and Central Java earthquake.
  

• Construction of transition shelters post earthquake of 2006 in Bantul and Klaten with funding from the Australian based Scoobie Trust and field implementation by the Yogyakarta based Jesuit Refugee Services;
  

• Support, training and technical assistance to ceramic crafters in earthquake stricken areas in Yogyakarta and Central Java in collaboration with the Pekerti Foundation.

The Jean and Julius Tahija Memorial Library

The Jean and Julius Tahija Memorial Library comprises a private collection of books, photographs, historical mementos and documents that record this remarkable couple’s personal journeys, the values guiding their achievements, and notable accomplishments the most impressive of which, perhaps, is how they resolutely continued practicing their core values during the turbulent times of the early post-Soekarno period.

From the mid-twentieth century, Jean and Julius began collecting books about Indonesian history interpreted and described by explorers, naturalists and colonists. Presently, the library includes books and documents describing several centuries of history of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Tahija family intend adding to the collection with books and documents of this kind and may extend the collection’s scope to include works that consider the Archipelago’s history in a regional context. Presently too, while the majority of the library’s historical material has been written by Europeans, the library may eventually include works recording voyages to the Archipelago by Chinese, Arabian, and Indian explorers and the consequent influence by them on the Archipelago’s indigenous cultures. Additionally, the library intends to continue adding to its collection of Indonesian literature and history that describes contemporary political and social development.

Environment Program

Environment and Conservation of Biodiversity

• Reclamation and reforestation of a 72 hectares former mining exploration site in the Upper Ella village, Upper Barito, West Kalimantan in collaboration with several other organizations.
  

• Support for patrol and monitoring of marine life (fish and coral reefs) in the Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java, as part of an integral effort to maintain the habitat integrity of protected species. Since August 2005, the foundation and partners extended the program to include development of community-based marine patrol and coral farming to provide sustainable income for local residents and thereby create economic incentive to maintain coastal areas.
  

• In an effort to minimize and if possible eliminate destructive reef-fish harvesting, the Foundation supports fish hatchery and farming development in Loh Mbongi, Flores, near the Komodo National Park. Through intensive training, fishermen are encouraged to substitute sustainable fish farming for destructive reef-fish harvesting.
  

• In Berau, East Kalimantan, the Foundation supports protection of the natural habitat of the Orangutan by encouraging local communities and businesses to become better environmental stewards, achieving its aims through collaboration rather than confrontation. The Foundation also funded construction of water supply facilities for four local communities in a bid to improve community health.

Health Program

• Medical material and medicines supplied to several locations throughout Indonesia since 1991, and since February 2005 in particular, to two Banda Aceh community health centres.
  

• Humanitarian assistance, health and sanitation programs, medical supplies and medical personnel for students and communities in conflict zones or remote areas throughout Indonesia since 2002.
  

• Financial support for ground-breaking research developing proactive methods for the effective control and prevention of dengue heamorrhagic fever (DHF), collaborating with the Faculty of Medicine , Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA.
  

• Financial and personnel support for low-income cataract surgery patients, collaborating with the Lions Club and the Indonesian Association of Opthamologists.

Cultural Program

Support to Preserve Nusantara Culture

• Documenting and disseminating the indigenous culture of Maluku in collaboration with the Sejati Foundation, 1994
  

• Documenting and archiving the traditional dances of Maluku in collaboration with the Andarinyo Cultural Center, 1996
  

• Development support for the Nusantara Orchestra through the Nusantara Orchestra Foundation, 1996
  

• Development support for the CSIS library and information center, Jakarta, 2001
  

• Support to document a community-initiated excavation of an old wooden boat found in the Bengawan river-estuary, Solo, 2005
  

• Support for exploration and excavation of several archeological sites and artifacts in Muntilan, Sangiran and Trowulan, as part of a longterm study examining pluralism and indigenous cultural traits throughout the Archipelago
  

• Support to preserve an historical gamelan set valued as part of Solo cultural heritage, subsequently presented to the Solo Art Institute.

Education Program

• School construction and provision of learning materials for the Mangunan Experiment Elementary School in Kalasan, Yogyakarta
  

• Improvement of chemistry laboratory in Kanisius highschool in Jakarta (1994)
  

• Construction and development of a computer laboratory in the Ambon based Universitas Kristen Indonesia Maluku (UKIM) which sectarian conflict in early 2000 destroyed, sadly.
  

• Provision of Braille reglet equipment through the Ciptomangunkusumo General Hospital Jakarta, 1996
  

• Construction of a primary and middle school complex in Binanga South Tapanuli in 2002
  

• Construction of an elementary school in post-tsunami Banda Aceh handed over to the City government in August 2006 and subsequently named by the City Government SDN 54 Yayasan Tahija.
  

• Development of a language laboratory in Binanga, South Tapanuli in 2006.
  

• Development assistance to SDN54 Banda Aceh through capacity building programs for teachers, and development of a library, computer laboratory, and science laboratory.
  

• Travel grants and scholarships either directly disbursed and managed or disbursed through partner organizations such as Dana Beasiswa Maluku, Yayasan Beasiswa Trisakti or a Jakarta chapter of Lions Club.

Tahija Foundation Logo

The Logo

The logo of the foundation depicts leaves and flowerets of the Cinnamomum tahijaum Koster, which is a native tree first discovered in Borneo and described in 1970 by Dr. A.J.G.H Kostermans, dedicated to Julius and Jean Tahija thus; “…this beautiful tree is named in honour of Mr. Julius Tahija, Chairman Managing Board of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, Jakarta, who donated a substantial sum to the Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, for the preservation of the material, deposited in that worldwide known Institute and whose wife is immensely interested in plants and in maintaining a beautiful garden upcountry off Bogor.” For the Tahija foundation, the leaves and flowerets of the Tahija Cinnamon tree represent the foundation’s core values: empathy, equality, pluralism.

Vision and Mision
To help build a better Indonesia through partnership in sustainable ventures and initiatives in education, culture, health, environmental conservation, and social services.