Director of Community Empowerment of the Social Affairs Ministry Arif Nahari stated that in 2022, the ministry will adopt comprehensive measures to address poverty by facilitating empowerment, as earlier only the cash allocation scheme was used through existing programs.
Nahari delivered the statement during the 7th series of the Development Talks Webinar that discussed about pursuing extreme poverty eradication by 2024, accessed here on Wednesday.
"(It) not only prioritizes the social assistance process but also brings forth processes that are geared towards empowerment or increasing the productivity of households that fall into the category of extreme poverty," Nahari remarked.
According to the integrated social welfare data to date, 18.8 million families were registered as beneficiaries of BPNT. On the other hand, 10 million families were beneficiaries for PKH.
Thus, several measures initiated by the ministry in 2022 pertained to empowerment that entailed expediting access to capital for the beneficiaries and skills development.
In addition, the efforts encompassed integration of the social assistance program with other programs, such as Pena (Heroes of the National Economy), Prokus (Social Entrepreneurship Program), and Atensi that was the social rehabilitation program for disabled people, the elderly, and victims of drug abuse.
The integration was through the social recovery phase, the transition phase, and to the development phase. The beneficiaries of extreme poverty reduction initiatives would get access to the Integrated Simple House (RST) that was designed to enable them to conduct entrepreneurial activities.
Efforts would thereafter be made to encourage beneficiaries, particularly those below 40 years of age, so they would immediately receive graduation status, as they were no longer beneficiaries due to the improving economic conditions.
Various case responses in the regional scope would be reported through the PKH and sub-district welfare task force to the ministry's command center. Should it be deemed necessary, the case would be withdrawn and transferred to activities at the Atensi Creation Center, so that they graduate immediately in order to convince them that they no longer received social assistance and be included in the Pena program.
"We optimize the empowerment process and we bring them closer to development. Although it is difficult, we will still do it in order to promote their graduation, entering the process of having a decent life in which they already have income, saw some activities in their business, and this is an integral part for them to get out of poverty," he elaborated.
In addition to the integrative model, the ministry employed an adaptive model by involving the youth organization, social welfare institutions, and Secluded Indigenous Community.
The Social Affairs Ministry also offered support through assistance in developing a social entrepreneurial spirit, business planning, marketing, and business development.
So far, the Social Affairs Ministry had helped empower businesses, both individuals and communities, he pointed out. Community-wise, they assisted empowerment of Kusamba salt farmers in Klungkung, Bali; meeting food needs in Asmat, Sarmi, and Jayapura City by building plantations and chicken farms; and building houses and entrepreneurial areas for flood victims in Sentani, Papua, in 2019.
They also provided facilities ranging from clean water access in Agats, Asmat District; Social Barn in Keerom; and collaborating with ITS (Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology), so that the youth of Mamberamo and Asmat could build fiber boat transportation to electric motorcycles for Puncak Jaya and Yakuhimo youth.
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Translator: Devi N S R, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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