GIDI Jerusalem Jayawijaya educates 800 street children

GIDI Jerusalem Jayawijaya Papua

Wamena (ANTARA) – The Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI) Jerusalem in Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province has established a school and school-like post, and has fostered 800 street children at the facility.

Jayawijaya Regent Jhon Richard Banua in Kurulu District, Jayawijaya Regency, Thursday, expressed his gratitude to GIDI for their participation.

“I thank them because they embrace street children to go back to school or get religious lessons,” he said.

At the inauguration of the learning venue, the regent said that the same activities had been carried out by GIDI at seven points, both inside the city center and outside the city.

“Every stage of teaching in this lodge is always supported by nutrition. In the city center there is also a post so I thank you,” he said.

The initiator of this activity, Yason Kenelak, said that his party only wanted street children not to be quickly affected by negative things, for example being involved in theft or consuming alcohol.

“Nearly 800 children have been gathered. What we see is that nearly 80 percent of children do not get the opportunity to learn,” he said.

Even though the hut was built by GIDI people, they would not bring children from other churches to enter GIDI. The children were only given provision so that they did not get involved in negative things.

“We don’t bring people (from other churches) to GIDI. We only teach the street children the truth,” he said.

He said the lodge was able to run because of the support from the GIDI people through offerings from each family.

“There is only one cottage built, but at the point there are seven that are already running. We are planning another seven,” he said.

Notes about GIDI Jerusalem Jayawijaya Papua:

GIDI was first initiated by three people from the UFM and APCM Mission Agency, namely Hans Veldhuis, Fred Dawson, Russell Bond. After pioneering posts in Senggi including opening Senggi’s first airfield (1951-1954), on 20 January 1955 the three missionaries and seven youths from Senggi flew from Sentani to the Baliem Valley in Hitigima using a Sealander amphibious plane.

Then they continued the mission by walking from the Baliem Valley to the west of the Jayawijaya mountains through the Piramid hamlet. From the Pyramids depart for crossing the Baliem river and along the Wodlo river and arriving at Ilugwa. After they rested, continue their journey towards the mouth of the Ka’liga river (Hablifura) and finally arrived at Lake Archbol on February 21, 1955.

It was in the Lake Acrhbold area that they first established Evangelical Camp and laid the foundation for territorial evangelism. In that same year, on March 25, 1955, the JZ-PTB Piper Pacer aircraft successfully landed on Archbold Lake. They opened an airport in Archbold while conducting a service development survey around Bokondini and Kelila. In March 1955 Bert Power and Ross Bertell arrived in Bokondini.