Kemenko PMK aids marginal communities through Program Peduli

Head of Sumenep Tourism Department at the opening of Kangean Coastal Festival end of July 2018. This event is a collaboration between Program Peduli and Pemdes Pajenangger Sumenep. Photo credit: Mering

SUMENEP -  Program Peduli under the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (PMK), the government seeks to help marginalized and excluded groups, that find it difficult to obtain rights to basic services and experience barriers to participation in the development process.

Communication specialist and Program Peduli Partnership Project officer, Alexander Mering, revealed that Program Peduli, implemented by the Partnership for Governance Reform is a continuation of the National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM Peduli program). The program changed its name to Program Peduli under President Joko Widodo.

"To implement the program, Kemenko PMK cooperates with a number of national civil society institutions, one of which is Partnership, that focuses on remote local indigenous communities. Although this is a government program to reach marginalized excluded groups, the Partnership collaborates with 10 local NGOs, " he said.

When the first phase of the program was implemented in 2014, the Kemenko PMK sent a letter to local governments that became the program sites. This was to ensure coordination at the village, regency and provincial levels. One of the objectives of this program is to ensure that the excluded communities can access policies at every level of local government.

"Many of the activities are integrated with policies made by the local government. For example, at the village level, this program also helps increase the capacity of village officials, from planning to improving basic services,” he added.

Achievements of Government Programs and Policies

Mering, revealed that every activity carried out by the Partnership involved a lot of policies both at the village and district level. The program is owned by the local government while Program Peduli help facilitate.

"In several places the Partnership, through partners in the regions even gave birth to a development roadmap which was subsequently integrated with development in the regions. With this collaboration, the beneficiaries are not just our work area, but also have an impact on other villages outside the Peduli Program,” he said.

The basic objective of this program is to strive to improve basic services, social acceptance and access to policies for groups of people who have been excluded. According to Mering, there have been quite a number of achievements. At least up to semester five of Phase II of the Peduli program, it has reached more than 9,000 direct beneficiaries. Of these, at least 2503 people have gained access to Identity services or 308% of the Partnership's total target of only 813.This is 1966 people or 97% of the 2028 program targets.

In phase II of the program, the Partnership noted that at least 95% of the 2721 marginal targeted groups, have now actively participated in various activities aimed at increasing their awareness and rights. At least 70 government service units have experienced an increase from January 2017 till July 2018 after Program Peduli facilitated. These achievements, said Mering, have yet to include activities done by the other six pillars outside the Partnership.

At the national level, Mering added, the program has also helped the indigenous Kasepuhan Karang retain their rights, especially through the Social Forestry program.

"In Sigi District there are two indigenous forests that are being proposed to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan). In Lebak Regency, Banten there are also two communities that await confirmation," he said.