Yenny Barlian strikes a gong to mark the launch of crowdfunding platform jalakasih.com in Jakarta to help church building in remote areas of Indonesia A Catholic from Indonesia has launched a crowdfunding portal to support the construction of churches and chapels in remote areas of the country.
The portal, Jalakasih.com, was launched last week at Our Lady of Carmel Church in Jakarta by the Vinea Dei Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Albertus Tan in 2017.
Tan is assisted by 29 Catholic volunteers in running various Church outreach programmes and also provide scholarships to support the education of children from poor families.
“The purpose of the site as a crowdfunding platform is to enable more people of goodwill to share and donate for the construction of more Catholic churches in Indonesia,” says Tan.
“I hope this programme can help Catholics in villages because they need to develop their Faith and education.”
The new site, according to Tan, will provide greater transparency with donors being able to access information more easily and see how their money is spent along with the progress of projects.
To date, the foundation has helped build more than 125 churches and chapels, facilitating prayer for around 115,000 Catholics in deprived regions.
Fr Ferdinandus Fahik of Maria Magdalena Church in Weetabula Diocese says Catholics in his parish have benefited from Tan’s support with the construction of three mission station chapels.
Fahik believes Tan’s new site will help Catholics in areas “facing economic challenges” to “develop their Faith”.