A Healthy Walk to Share Autistic Children's Comics Friends of All of Us
Car Free Day, March 30, 2014
To commemorate World Autism Day, which falls on April 2 each year, MPATI held a series of events supporting the Autism-Friendly Jakarta program launched by the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Mr. Joko Widodo, on April 6, 2013. The program aims to provide an understanding of Autism to create awareness for parents/guardians/educators to know the symptoms of Autism from the start. So that people with Autism can immediately get the right therapy and treatment.
One form of activity in the program is a Healthy Walk for Comics, "Autistic Children are Friends of All of Us," which was held on March 30, 2014, on Car Free Day. The Healthy Walk for Comics (JSBK) event was held at 6.15 am, starting from Jalan Teluk Betung as the starting point for gathering, to be precise, around the Transportation Service stage. JSBK then walked towards the HI roundabout, continued towards Sarinah, and turned back towards Teluk Betung while distributing educational comics containing the seven primary characteristics of children with Autism. Participants in the JSBK consisted of MPATI volunteers, Autism-Friendly Jakarta Pioneers, representatives from Lotte Mart, and 80 children aged 8-15 years assisted by Rumah Zakat. The total number of participants was approximately 200 people. The Healthy Walk for Comics ended again before the Transportation Service Stage at 7.35 am. Then it continued with the event on the Happy Stage.
Two MCs opened the event at the Happy Stage from Autism-Friendly Jakarta Pioneers, Arum Puspitarini and Mita Aditama. The MC started by introducing Mrs. Gayatri Pamoedji as the head of MPATI and the Healthy Walk for Comics program that had just been conducted. Then it was filled with performances from Keisha, a talented teenager who sang two songs while playing the piano. It was then followed by the appearance of a child with autism named Clement, who sang a song he composed himself titled Ayah Pahlawanku, Ibu Bidadariku. The Happy Stage event was also attended by the President Director of Lotte Mart Indonesia, Mr. Jukyang Yoon. The happy Stage was closed with the performance of the children's band with autism, I'm Star, with two songs at 08.35.
