ABOUT BALIKPAPAN | CITY OF BALIKPAPAN

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/it/2011/10/04/brk,20111004-359868,id.html

2011-10-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/it/2011/10/04/brk,20111004-359868,id.html

2010-11-17T07:18:00.001-08:00

I write to you just days after our Annual Investor Gathering, a full-day event in which we bring together our community to take stock of the past year and look ahead to the future. This has been an extraordinary year for Acumen Fund, so let me start by giving a brief synopsis of where we stand.

When we started Acumen Fund, we were intent on investing in companies that promised to serve at least one million people. It has taken some of our companies six or seven years, but there are now six Acumen investees that fall into this category.

To name a few, Ecotact in Kenya saw more than 6 million uses of its 27 public sanitation facilities in 2010. d.light design brought safe and affordable solar light to more than 2 million. Global Easy Water Projects (GEWP) has sold more than 400 thousand systems to some of the world’s poorest farmers. And WaterHealth International (WHI) has brought safe drinking water to more than 300 villages, and has catalyzed an industry of five other companies bringing water to 1,000 villages. In total, the more than $50 million that Acumen Fund has approved has helped bring services to more than 40 million people and created more than 35,000 jobs in a sustainable way.

Nine years after we launched Acumen, people still ask us what we mean by sustainable. Of course, we are a nonprofit, and we don’t expect to cover all of our costs simply by the revenue generated on our investments.

We are driven not by financial returns, but by the change we are effecting through our investments. We hope to see our capital returned to Acumen so that we can reinvest it – and we are on track to do that. However, our most critical metrics are around the number of people we serve on an ongoing basis, the sustainability of the companies we help build and the transformative industries we help create – asking questions such as are they growing? Enduring? Bringing quality services with integrity?

We established Acumen Fund in 2001 to help pioneer a new category of philanthropy, one that focused on investing, on metrics and on merging the best of business practices with the moral imagination needed to serve the poor. In the past several years, 192 new “social impact” funds have registered. When I spoke at the SoCap conference this year, I underscored how important it is for all individuals involved in social investing to be mindful of our ultimate missions. What the world needs is not simply funds that invest and earn a little less than market returns. At Acumen, we are trying to help build a world in which every human being has access to basic, affordable goods and services so that they can live with greater choice and opportunity – and with greater dignity.

The world needs models for understanding what it takes to bring affordable, high-quality energy to low-income rural villages. In Bihar, for example, one of the poorest states in India, the government has declared that more than 20,000 villages “cannot be reached” by extending the traditional grid. An entrepreneur, Gyanesh Pandey, and three colleagues decided that there had to be a better answer, and through great determination and grit they founded Husk Power Systems. The innovative company gasifies rice husk – an abundant resource given that Bihar is located in the rice belt – and distributes electricity in a decentralized, low-cost way to far-flung rural villages.

Acumen’s patient capital investment is part of Husk Power’s story. Several types of capital were needed along the way: the company got its early start through support from friends and family and from a business plan competition; Shell Foundation, in many ways an unsung hero, provided further grants and significant management assistance; the government of India agreed to subsidize the price of the electricity generated; and we worked with Husk to create a more feasible business plan. Our patient capital investment has now been joined by more traditional investment money, and the company is on its way. Currently more than 130,000 people benefit from safe, clean affordable light – and this in places that previously lived in blackness from sundown to sunrise. Patient capital is one part of the answer. But it must work in conjunction with other types of capital – and partnerships – as well.

Acumen Fund’s community continues to grow and thrive. I want to extend a deep sense of gratitude to everyone bringing so much, financially and otherwise, to our mission. This year we saw more than 100 new or renewed Partners, who are becoming involved through new efforts such as Venture Partners, in which they will spend significant time supporting specific investments. We’ve also seen the growing phenomenon of chapters that support our work: there are currently 10 around the world, with two more, Boston and Japan, in formation.

If I’ve learned anything these past nine years, it is that there is no more profound currency than trust. I was deeply moved at the end of summer by the Pakistan floods, and greatly saddened by the lack of media coverage. My husband and I traveled to the country to see the situation on the ground. We found massive devastation – 21 million people homeless – but we also found Acumen Partners doing Herculean work to bring real support to those most in need. I felt proud to know and be part of them. On our last evening, we shared dinner with our advisors at the home of Partner Farrokh Captain, and we talked about how we might leverage trust to help. While Acumen is not a relief agency, there is much we and our companies and advisors can do to help transfer some of the most relevant goods in Acumen’s global network. We also can convene and connect. We have been suggesting that the U.S. government consider matching dollar-for-dollar what Pakistanis are doing through private sector efforts and philanthropy to help their fellow citizens.

Let me end focused more specifically on voice and poverty. The Blue Sweater has been chosen by a number of universities as their Common Book read, which means that all incoming freshmen read the book and then use it as a learning tool. As a result I’ve had the privilege of visiting a number of U.S. campuses this fall. What struck me again and again is how hungry young people are to dive into more complex conversations about the kinds of solutions an interconnected world needs – and how they feel there are too few places to do so.

We are seeing too many of our leaders move from a place of ideological certainty just at the moment when we need to step back together to better understand how we as a world came to a place of such interconnectedness with a rising gap between rich and poor. Our world demands new solutions that start with defining the problems at hand and then using our many resources, including the markets, including government, and including patient capital and philanthropy, to solve them. Doing so will take a more proactive, imaginative and moral leadership.

At Acumen Fund, our commitment to invest in entrepreneurs as well as to invest in leaders and in ideas is stronger than ever. In so many ways we are just beginning. In all ways, we need you to help us use the ideas of patient capital, dignity and interconnectedness to extend the civil rights movement to reach every human being on the planet.

This is no time to think small.

Wishing you all good things,

JN first name signature

Jacqueline Novogratz
Fall 2010

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JOGJAKARTA DALAM DUKA (dedicated to : Merapi Refugees & Volunteer)

2010-11-09T08:06:00.001-08:00

JOGJAKARTA, 09 November 2010 --- 23:05 WIB

Tidak sedikit kedukaan yang dialami bagi warga DIY dan Jateng. Sejak letusan pertama Merapi tgl. 26 Oktober lalu hingga saat ini tidak sedikit warga yang masih merasa cemas akan nasibnya. Hari ini pun di Jogjakarta terjadi Gempa berkekuatan 5,6 SR yang cukup menggemparkan warga.

Hadirnya situs Jaringan Informasi Lingkar Merapi (http://merapi.combine.or.id) sebagai salah satu media online yang sangat dibutuhkan bagi para relawan, petugas-petugas yang berkepentingan dalam situasi 'tanggap darurat' atau bagi siapapun yang membutuhkan informasi seputar Merapi secara cepat dan memadai, masih harus terganggu oleh adanya "flooding" ke server situs tersebut. Sungguh merupakan tindakan yang tidak dapat ditoleransi lagi bagi para pelakunya.

Warga DIY dan Jateng tidak membutuhkan isu-isu yang meresahkan, tayangan-tayangan yang menakut-nakuti atau bahkan 'radio jamming' hingga 'server flooding' --- melainkan adanya solusi atas situasi tanggap darurat yang kini tengah merambah ke arah bencana sosial, yakni meluapnya jumlah pengungsi hingga ratusan ribu jiwa. Mau kemana lagi ribuan jiwa pengungsi ini akan menggantungkan nasibnya selain dari uluran-uluran tangan relawan dan dermawan? Sukurlah pemerintah juga tidak tinggal diam. Baik lokal, regional hingga pusat memang sudah sepatutnya bahu-membahu mencari solusi bagi ribuan jiwa pengungsi dan berpikir bagaimana cara merekonstruksi Jogja & Jateng tercinta ini. Jangan sampai ada daerah-daerah yang bisa disebut sebagai "Silent Hill" lagi.

Semua ini pasti akan berlalu --- dengan ketabahan kita, dengan kerjasama kita dan setidak-tidaknya dengan sujud kita kepada Sang Khalik --- untuk membersihkan batin, berbenah bersama menuju terciptanya Ibu Pertiwi yang lebih baik di masa-masa mendatang dan kembali mampu menjadi "Mercu Suar" dunia.

Amien.

Nama Kota Balikpapan

2009-04-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Setidaknya ada dua (2) versi mengapa kota ini kemudian dinamakan Kota Balikpapan :

1. Menurut legenda asal nama Balikpapan adalah karena sebuah kejadian yang terjadi pada tahun 1739, sewaktu dibawah Pemerintahan Sultan Muhammad Idris dari Kerajaan Kutai, yang memerintahkan kepada pemukim-pemukim di sepanjang Teluk Balikpapan untuk menyumbang bahan bangunan guna pembangunan istana baru di Kutai lama. Sumbangan tersebut ditentukan berupa penyerahan sebanyak 1000 lembar papan yang diikat menjadi sebuah rakit yang dibawa ke Kutai Lama melalui sepanjang pantai. Setibanya di Kutai lama, ternyata ada 10 keping papan yang kurang (terlepas selama dalam perjalanan) dan hasil dari pencarian menemukan bahwa 10 keping papan tersebut terhanyut dan timbul disuatu tempat yang sekarang bernama "Jenebora". Dari peristiwa inilah nama Balikpapan itu diberikan (dalam istilah bahasa Kutai "Baliklah - papan itu" atau papan yang kembali yang tidak mau ikut disumbangkan).

2. Menurut legenda dari orang-orang suku Pasir Balik atau lazim disebut Suku Pasir Kuleng, maka secara turun menurun telah dihikayatkan tentang asal mula nama "Negeri Balikpapan". Orang-orang suku Pasir Balik yang bermukim di sepanjang pantai teluk Balikpapan adalah berasal dari keturunan kakek dan nenek yang bernama " KAYUN KULENG dan PAPAN AYUN ". Oleh keturunannya kampung nelayan yang terletak di Teluk Balikpapan itu diberi nama "KULENG - PAPAN" atau artinya "BALIK - PAPAN" (Dalam bahasa Pasir, Kuleng artinya Balik dan Papan artinya Papan) dan diperkirakan nama negeri Balikpapan itu adalah sekitar tahun 1527.

*SUMBER

About

2009-04-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

Aboutbalikpapan.blogspot.com adalah blog tentang gambar-gambar yang diambil dari sudut-sudut kota Balikpapan. Deskripsi singkat atas gambar-gambar dalam blog ini juga dilampirkan sebagai pelengkap saja, karenanya blog ini membuka komentar dan saran serta kritik yang membangun. Gambar-gambar yang terdapat dari blog ini 99% berasal dari foto-foto milik creator, yakni ALIVE TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY, sedangkan apabila ada gambar-gambar yang berasal dari sumber lain, creator akan mencantumkan sumber dari gambar tersebut. Salam :)

WADUK MANGGAR BALIKPAPAN

2009-04-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Waduk milik Pemkot Balikpapan ini selain difungsikan untuk
penyediaan air minum, juga potensial sebagai wahana wisata bagi
masyarakat sekitar atau bahkan wisatawan dari daerah lain.
Menjadi sangat ramai terlebih sewaktu PON XVII Kaltim tahun
kemarin juga menggunakan waduk ini sebagai venue-nya
(venue untuk cabang olah raga dayung).
Waduk ini terletak sekitar 14km dari pusat perbelanjaan terdekat
Kota Balikpapan (dihitung kira-kira dari Plasa Rapak).

TRITIB (Penangkaran Buaya)

2009-04-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

"Takut sama buaya?" Tritib bisa menjadi tempat bagi Anda
yang ingin lebih dekat dengan buaya-buaya.
Tempat penangkaran ini sudah lama diolah menjadi Obyek
wisata yang cukup menarik untuk lebih mengenal satwa-satwa
liar yang ada di rimba Kalimantan.

JALAN MINYAK BALIKPAPAN

2009-04-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Jalan ini dijuluki jalan minyak. Unit Pengolahan (UP) V
Pertamina sebagai unit pengolahan minyak yang memiliki
areal sangat luas, Tentu saja bisa Anda lihat sepanjang
melewati "jalan minyak" ini.

GUNUNG DUBBS BALIKPAPAN

2009-04-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Gunung Dubbs merupakan kawasan komplek perumahan milik Pertamina.
Hal ini tentunya menjelaskan bahwa akses ke lokasi tersebut
adalah terbatas, hanya mungkin pada jam-jam tertentu saja Anda
bisa menikmati pemandangan dari atas bukit ini. "Betapa cantiknya
pemandangan pantai dapat dinikmati dari bukit ini hingga batas
cakrawala dan masih ditambah dengan hembusan angin nan sepoi-sepoi."

PANTAI MELAWAI BALIKPAPAN

2009-04-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

Makan pisang gapit, jagung atau roti bakar jadi semakin nikmat di pantai ini sambil memandang langit senja di atas teluk Balikpapan. Pantai Melawai, merupakan salah satu obyek wisata favourite
khususnya bagi mereka yang muda (berjiwa muda). Selain sebagai tempat tongkrongan, pantai ini juga terletak di kawasan yang sangat strategis, dekat lapangan/arena olahraga (Lapangan Merdeka).

PANTAI KUMALA (PANTAI DAPUR BUNDA)

2009-04-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

Pantai ini juga banyak yang masih menyebutnya dengan Pantai Dapur Bunda. Letaknya yang berdekatan dengan pusat kota Balikpapan merupakan salah satu wahana rekreasi yang cukup menarik.Adapun berbagai fasilitas juga cukup memadai, baik dari area parkir, rumah makan, maupun toilet. Tentu saja pantai ini juga ramai dikunjungi terutama di hari-hari libur bahkan terkadang pengunjung juga sampai kehabisan ruang untuk memarkir kendaraannya. Beberapa sarana lain seperti gazebo-gazebo, menara pengawas dan kadang-kadang pengunjung juga dapat mencoba perahu karet yang ditarik oleh speed-boat (baca:molen boat, dilengkapi pelampung).