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| 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.
