Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Social Affairs Ministry has tasked PT Pos Indonesia with distributing some money from the Social Rehabilitation Assistance (Atensi) Program to orphans.

Head of the social assistance task force at PT Pos Indonesia Hendra Sari said that aid, valued at Rp200 thousand per month, would be disbursed to 196,222 recipients, and they had delivered three months' worth of aid, totaling Rp600 thousand per recipient.

"The criteria for those eligible are children under the age of 18, with the status of orphans, who are not (economically capable)," he delivered the statement here on Friday.

One of the beneficiaries is Salsabila Novianti, a middle school student, whose both parents had passed away.

"This assistance is very useful. I will use it for school needs. Hopefully, I can get more assistance in the future," she remarked.

The distribution of aid by the company ended on January 12, 2023. Until January 11, the progress had reached 90 percent.

He stated that the aid was delivered directly to the recipient's house, so that they could meet the children and hand it to them and their guardians.

If the children are not at home because they are at school at the time of delivery, then the officer or payer will leave a notification letter, so that they could pick up the assistance at the Post Office.

Officers in charge of the delivery always take photos of recipients and their homes, as well as conduct geo-tagging of the location of the house as proof of distribution.

"So far, there has been no significant issue. As for addresses that are difficult to find, we coordinate with the assistant staff and the local government," he remarked.

He expressed the company's commitment to distributing all social assistance in an effective and efficient manner.

Atensi is a social rehabilitation program by the ministry to help orphans in fulfilling their basic needs. Generally, the recipients are still attending elementary school and middle school.

The ministry conducts the Atensi program to assist children, who have lost their parents, in order to support the child's survival and reduce the family's load.

The Social Affairs Ministry has received some Rp400 billion in additional budget from the Finance Ministry that will be used as social assistance for orphans.

Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini said that the aid would begin to be distributed in December 2022. Some 946,863 orphans are listed as beneficiaries, with each of them receiving an amount of Rp200 thousand per month.

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Translator: Subagyo, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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