Keeping Generations in the Middle of Tradition, Wihaji Last Night in Baduy Dalam (Part 2)
BANTEN - For the Baduy Dalam community, the family is a space where the values of life are passed down. There are only three main villages that still hold the strict rules of the ancestors: Cikeusik, Cibeo, and Cikertawana. Here, people wear white clothes as their sacred identity.
Although living in traditional simplicity, the changes of time are slowly touching. The average family now has five to six children. The air is still clean, the river water is still clear, and men and women work together in the fields without striking role barriers. It is this pure life that makes the government's approach must be carried out with great caution.
MBG 3B: Nutrition Without Eliminating Customs
Behind this journey, Minister Wihaji has a big mission: to ensure the Free Nutritious Meal program for Pregnant Women, Breastfeeding Mothers, and Non-PAUD Toddlers (MBG 3B) reaches the farthest corners. In Kanekes Village, there are 1,763 Stunted Risk Families (KRS) who need attention.
"It is true that there are no formal schools in Baduy, but there are still pregnant women, nursing mothers, and toddlers who need attention. The state is present to ensure that their basic rights are met through the MBG 3B service," said Minister Wihaji.
The government is aware that implementation in customary areas cannot use the usual way. Through dialogue with pu'un and customary leaders, it was agreed that this program was accepted as long as its implementation still followed the procedures and respect for local customs. The state does not come to change, but rather knocks on the door slowly to ensure that no mother and child are malnourished.
Humanistic Service
In addition to focusing on nutrition, family planning services are also carried out for the general public outside the Baduy area, while for the Baduy Luar residents, reproductive health education is carried out persuasively and dialogically.
This journey provides a valuable lesson: that family development in the customary area is not about who is the most modern, but rather who is able to come with respect. At the foot of the Kanekes hills, the state learned that the most "reaching" service is not only about physical distance, but the willingness to be present in the most humane way.