The Jakarta Post, Sunday, May 14, 2006
Small notes flutter from a plastic “love and care” apple tree on the ground floor of Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta, inviting shoppers to stop and read the messages written there (photo).
On one note, model and presenter Susan Bachtiar wrote her hope for Indonesian children: “The belief that anything is possible is a recipe for happiness. Give our children a better future.”
Another note, written by TV personality Rebecca Tumewu, said that she hoped Indonesian children would find “happiness, good education (and) good nutrition”.
The tree was part of the special shopping with celebrities event held Saturday by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). Unicef Indonesia ambassador Ferry Salim was joined by local celebrities, including Thessa Kaunang, Devi Permatasari, Dewi Rezer and Olga Lydia, who mingled with shoppers purchasing Unicef products at its gift shop and writing messages to the children of Indonesia.
“It may seem simplistic to write down our hopes and hang them on a tree. But without hope there’s no life, and the notes here are our prayers for the children of Indonesia,” Rebecca, or Becky, told The Jakarta Post.
In addition to lending their names to promote Unicef’s activities in Indonesia, the celebrities also presented gift vouchers to different stores in the shopping mall to be given to the stores’ first 10 customers of the day.
The event was also held to promote the Message of Hope program, a collaboration between Donna Karan New York (DKNY) and Unicef, to celebrate the UN organization’s 60th anniversary.
As part of the Message of Hope program, 2 percent of each sale of the special edition DKNY Be Delicious women’s and men’s perfume will be donated to Unicef, with donations expected to reach US$100,000 from around the world.
The apple-shaped silver bottled perfume sells for Rp 750,000 ($86) for the women’s fragrance and Rp 650,000 for the men’s. The perfume is currently only sold at Unicef’s gift shop at Plaza Senayan, and will be officially launched in Indonesia in June.
