Celebrating World Water Day, Astra Strengthens its Social Contribution Commitment to the Rote Ndao Community

Celebrating World Water Day, Astra Strengthens its Social Contribution Commitment to the Rote Ndao Community

JAKARTA: In the last five years, Astra Group’s various sustainable social contributions in 13 villages and four subdistricts in Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has had a positive impact on 7,667 people.

As a part of the social contribution program, Astra inaugurated the clean water installations and schools in Rote Ndao. The virtual inauguration took place at the same time as World Water Day on 22 March 2021. Moreover, the program was also in line with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Life on Land.

Through this program, Astra helped provide clean water supplies in Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara. Astra also encouraged Indonesian people to be more considerate of environmental sustainability and to use water wisely to achieve a healthy and prosperous Indonesia for generations to come.

Water availability is a basic human necessity that continues to increase along with the growing population. However, the provision of adequate clean water remained to be a significant challenge in Indonesia. The low access to sanitation and clean water is a factor that affects a child’s growth and indirectly causes stunting.

According to Statistics Indonesia data for 2020, although the average percentage of the population with access to safe drinking water in urban areas reached 96.08%, a lower percentage of 82.74% was found in rural areas.

In light of this situation, Astra, together with Astra Education Foundation – Michael D. Ruslim (YPA-MDR) and Astra Honda Motor Foundation (YAHM) made a commitment to providing clean water installations in the southernmost island of Indonesia, the Rote Ndao Regency.

Astra Director Gita Tiffani Boer, Deputy for Prosperous Family and Family Development at the National Population and Family Planning Board Dr. Drs. Lalu Makripuddin, Head of Public Works Office of East Nusa Tenggara Province Ir. Maxi Nenabu, MT., and Deputy Regent of Rote Ndao Stefanus M. Saek, SE., M.Si also attended the virtual ceremony.

“Astra has a strong commitment to implement sustainable social contribution to benefit Indonesian people. We hope this collaborative social contribution program will improve the community’s quality of life, reduce stunting, and advance the Rote Ndao Regency,” Director of Astra Gita Tiffani Boer said.

In the virtual event, Astra also held a Health Talk. The Talk featured several speakers, including Deputy Minister for Child Rights Fulfillment of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia Lenny N. Rosalin, Director of Environmental Health of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia drg. R. Vensya Sitohang, M.Epid, recipient of the 2020 Semangat Astra Terpadu Untuk (SATU) Indonesia Awards at the provincial level for health category Johan A. Rahman, and Astra Head of Environment and Social Responsibility Diah Suran Febrianti.

The speakers discussed various topics, including methods that the community should consider in maintaining environmental health, how to process the surrounding water to become potable water, causes of child stunting associated with environmental sanitation, and efforts to reduce stunting rates.

Before this virtual event, on 20 March 2021, Astra and YPA-MDR carried out a series of events in Rote Ndao. The events include clean water installment inauguration ceremony, the soft launching of five new school buildings, and tree planting in water resources built by Astra in Tasilo Village, Mbuaeian Village, Oelolot Village, and Oeseli Village to maintain water resources sustainability.

Astra’s First Contribution in Rote Ndao
Apart from the provision of clean water, the sustainable social contribution of the Astra Group in Rote Ndao has been carried out since 2016 through the health, education, entrepreneurship, and environmental pillars.

In the health pillar, Astra reached Rote Ndao for the first time in 2016 through the Healthy Generation (GenerAKSISehat Indonesia) program, which handed over 2,000 glasses for children with visual impairment. Astra also continues its social contribution through nutrition intervention and stunting reduction in 11 villages. This program is accompanied by training and nutrition assistance at community-based health services (posyandu).

Astra, with YPA-MDR and YAHM, has completed 13.3 km clean water installation of a total pipe length of 17.19 km throughout three subdistricts: West Rote Subdistrict, Southwest Rote Subdistrict, Loaholu Subdistrict, seven villages, and 13 sub-villages.

In the education pillar, Astra through YPA-MDR carries out development programs that encompass four pillars: academic, character, art and culture, and life skills in 15 schools in Rote Ndao. The primary development program is sending Young Teachers at the Forefront (Guru Muda Garda Depan) and providing assistance to build learning infrastructure and facilities in accordance with the Minimum Service Standards in several schools.

In the entrepreneurship pillar, Astra has implemented economic empowerment to the Rote Ndao community through the Desa Sejahtera program since 2018.

Astra, together with village-owned enterprises (BUMDES) in eleven villages known for their superior product: seaweed, provide training, mentoring, and assistance for infrastructure and facilities, including motorbikes, warehouses, shops, and other working tools.

Moreover, Astra also expands the offtaker/buyer. This program has succeeded in increasing the people’s income by 25%.

Finally, in the environmental pillar, Astra was committed to planting 1,000 trees in Rote Ndao.

Astra’s various efforts to improve the people’s quality of life are in line with Astra’s mission to Prosper with the Nation and achieve the SDGs.

For further information, please contact:

Boy Kelana Soebroto
Head of Corporate Communications
PT Astra International Tbk
Ph.021-508-43-888

About Astra
PT Astra International Tbk was established in 1957 in Jakarta as a general trading company under the name Astra International Inc. In 1990, for the purpose of the company’s initial public offering (IPO), the name of the company changed to PT Astra International Tbk, followed by listing its shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange under the ticker code ASII.

Astra has developed its business by implementing a business model based on synergies and diversification within seven business divisions: 1) Automotive, 2) Financial Services, 3) Heavy Equipment, Mining, Construction & Energy, 4) Agribusiness, 5) Infrastructure and Logistics, 6) Information Technology and 7) Property.

Astra Group conducts business operations in all parts of Indonesia under the management of more than 238 companies, including subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, and was supported by more than 187,000 employees, as of December 2020.

As one of the largest national business groups in Indonesia today, Astra has built a strong reputation through offering a range of quality products and services, taking into account the implementation of good corporate and environmental governance. Astra always aspires to be the pride of the nation that participates in efforts to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people.

Astra's business activities strive to apply a balanced mix in the commercial aspects of business and non-business contributions through 9 foundations and a variety of sustainable social responsibility programmes, namely Astra Untuk Indonesia Sehat, Astra Untuk Indonesia Cerdas, Astra Untuk Indonesia Hijau and Astra Untuk Indonesia Kreatif.

Astra initiated the Semangat Astra Terpadu Untuk (SATU) Indonesia Awards programme, which has entered its eleventh year, and has given recognition awards to 397 young Indonesians, consisting of 70 national level recipients and 327 provincial level recipients in the fields of Health, Education, the Environment, Entrepreneurship and Technology, which are integrated with Astra’s wide range of community activities through 116 Kampung Berseri Astra and 755 Desa Sejahtera Astra initiatives in 34 provinces throughout Indonesia.

For further information, please visit www.astra.co.id & www.satu-indonesia.com, and follow Astra through Instagram (@satu_Indonesia), Youtube (SATU Indonesia), Facebook (Semangat Astra Terpadu) and Twitter (@satu_Indonesia).