Jelajah Timur Charity Run Comes to NTB, Expanding the Reach of Clean Water Access Development

Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, October 26, 2024 – 80 runners took part in the Jelajah Timur ultra marathon charity run by Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia), in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) on October 25-26, 2024.

The runners or often called explorers took approximately 20 hours from Sembalun, the foot of Mount Rinjani, to Kuta Mandalika Beach with a mission to realize inclusive and equal access to clean water. Until two weeks before the closing of donations on November 17, 2024, the funds raised have reached Rp 1.5 billion, and continue to grow. All funds raised will be used for the construction and expansion of clean water facilities in two villages in NTB and one village in NTT.

Executive Director of Plan Indonesia and Jelajah Timur runner, Dini Widiastuti, said that this year was the first time Jelajah Timur was held in NTB. Previously, for five times, Jelajah Timur was always located in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

“Not only in NTT, many areas in NTB also have limited access to clean water. Data from BPBD 2024 shows that around 500 thousand people in 77 sub-districts are affected by drought, including children, women, and people with disabilities who have to buy or queue for hours to get water. This condition adds to the burden, especially for women and girls who are responsible for household needs, disrupts their education, and increases economic vulnerability,” Dini explained.

Sarijul Basri, the head of Wakan Village in East Lombok, added that the availability of water is a problem they are currently facing. According to him, the problem of clean water is not only for consumption, but also for bathing, washing and toilet (MCK).

“In NTB, the dry season is long and rainfall is low, so groundwater sources are limited. In addition, the terrain is hilly so the distribution of clean water to all areas is difficult. So most residents can only rely on rainwater or buy clean water which certainly burdens household costs. We are grateful for Plan Indonesia’s efforts in expanding the reach of clean water access development for everyone,” said Sarijul.

Wakan village is one of the villages that will benefit from this Jelajah Timur 2024 activity. For NTB, in addition to Wakan village, Bilelando village in Central Lombok is also a village that will be assisted.

Together Building Clean Water Facilities

As part of the charity run, the explorers have visited the village that will receive the clean water donation to illustrate the challenges of getting clean water faced by the residents on a daily basis.

Kelly Tandiono, an actor and model who ran in Jelajah Timur 2024 for the 50K exhibition category said, “Apparently, access to clean water in this village is still very limited. The small water discharge is unable to meet the needs of all residents. If not for this visit, I who live in Jakarta might not have realized that there are still many of our brothers and sisters who need support to get access to clean water. I will bring this experience back to Jakarta, in the hope that more people will be moved to help.”

Similar to Kelly, Tarman Pabelai from Sulawesi also admitted that he was enthusiastic and really enjoyed running for charity. The ultra marathon runner who works as a teacher often brings jerry cans into the classroom while explaining to his students about the issue of clean water limitations experienced by other children in marginalized areas, such as in several places in NTT and NTB.

“I feel more meaning from running when I do it while raising funds to help others. I also explained to my students about the drought conditions I saw in NTB and NTT so that they also have an understanding of the conditions experienced by their friends in other areas. They were moved when they heard about it, and even became very enthusiastic to be able to help,” he said.

Some of the other personalities who ran in this year’s Jelajah Timur in various categories were Adita Irawati, Advisory Board of Plan Indonesia; and running influencers such as Diah Makece, Nicky Hogan, Abdoullah Mitiche, Carla Felany, Erry Permana, Adi Risfandi, Saykoji, and many more. These explorers are very creative in raising funds. Some took the initiative to make a Fun Run for hundreds of participants, charity yoga classes, making running merchandise for donations, and various other activities. The Jelajah Timur 2024 campaign is also supported by various partners such as the NTB Province Bappeda, East Lombok Regional Government, Central Lombok Regional Government, LIDI Foundation, and various companies both as sponsors and as donors for the construction of clean water facilities.

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About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since 1969 and officially became Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) in 2017. We work for the fulfillment of children’s rights and equality for girls. We also work with young people, to ensure meaningful participation in decision-making about their lives. As part of Plan International Inc, Plan Indonesia has a sponsored children program. Plan Indonesia has nurtured 36,000 girls and boys in East Nusa Tenggara, with five commitments to fulfill their basic rights: birth certificates, basic vaccines, clean water, sanitation and hygiene, and education. Plan Indonesia works in 8 provinces through seven thematic programs, namely Prevention of Child Growth Failure, Elimination of Violence against Children and Young People, Adolescent Health, Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, Resilient Schools, Disaster Preparedness and Gender Responsive Humanitarian Response, and Youth-led Climate Resilience. These programs aim to increase the capacity of leadership, agencies, and social movements that engage and target 3 million girls for equal power, equal freedom, and equal representation. More information: plan-international.or.id