Extreme Poverty Reduction Enters a New Phase, MSF Strengthens National Collaboration

The Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) held a Workshop on Transition to the Implementation of Poverty Alleviation Programs on Friday, July 3, 2026

JAKARTA - Efforts to alleviate extreme poverty in Indonesia have entered a new phase with the strengthening of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) for Poverty Alleviation, a cross-sector collaboration platform that connects the government, philanthropic institutions, the business world, academics, and civil society. This initiative is expected to be a driving force for accelerating poverty alleviation programs, which are one of the national priorities in 2026.

MSF was initiated by the Zakat Forum (FOZ), the Indonesian Philanthropy Association (PFI), and the Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI) as a response to the still fragmented various poverty alleviation programs in Indonesia. Through this forum, various stakeholders are encouraged to work together so that the programs run are more effective and sustainable.

As a first step towards implementation, MSF held a Workshop on Transition to the Implementation of the Poverty Alleviation Program on Friday, July 3. This activity is a continuation of a series of discussions, focus group discussions (FGD), field assessments, to village meetings that have taken place since the beginning of the year.

FOZ General Secretary, Udhi Tri Kurniawan, said the forum marked a shift from the planning stage to actual action in the field.

"MSF is proposing a scheme that is not easy, but we must do and implement it. With the current conditions, the problem of poverty is not enough to be discussed on paper, but requires concrete solutions," said Udhi.

According to him, the success of poverty alleviation can only be achieved through collaboration between various parties who are able to leave behind sectoral egos and focus on the real impact on the community.

"It takes the collaboration of various stakeholders so that good practices are produced that do not stop in the planning room, but reach the engagement room with the community," he added.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Indonesian Philanthropy Association (PFI), Rully Amrullah, explained that Indonesia still faces major challenges at the village level. Based on the data he presented, there are approximately 10,467 very backward villages, tens of thousands of disaster-prone villages, and many villages that are not yet economically independent or basic services.

On the other hand, villages also have great potential as a center of economic growth. Around 49 percent of Indonesians live in villages, supported by the circulation of Village Funds reaching Rp. 71 trillion and the existence of more than 146 thousand small and micro industries.

"These great potentials are what we are trying to stitch together through cross-sector collaboration between FOZ, PFI, HFI, PSI Agro, and the Global Compact, both in terms of funding, research, and implementation," said Rully.

MSF implements a co-creation approach to programs that are designed based on the real needs of people in the field and are aligned with the target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In addition to building a national collaboration framework, the forum also featured various good practices from zakat institutions that have carried out programs to empower the community's economy. These programs have previously received appreciation in the Zakat Award, which has collected more than 140 empowerment innovations from various zakat institutions in Indonesia.

One of them is the Cisande Tourism Village which was developed by Rumah Zakat in Sukabumi Regency. Through the Village Empowerment program, the community is encouraged to develop community-based tourism, ranging from culinary tourism, bamboo crafts, to nature tourism. This program has succeeded in increasing UMKM activities while strengthening the economic independence of the village community.

Another example is the Container Kantin Program run by Dompet Dhuafa. This program provides business capital, assets, and mentoring support to students from pre-prosperous families at various universities so that they can earn additional income while building independent businesses.

These various programs are considered to show that philanthropic funds, including zakat, not only serve as short-term social assistance, but are also able to encourage sustainable economic empowerment while supporting the achievement of SDGs targets, such as poverty eradication, the creation of decent jobs, and the improvement of people's welfare.

Through the strengthening of MSF and the synergy of various philanthropic institutions, the government, business world, and civil society, the poverty alleviation movement is expected to be more integrated and able to present solutions that have a direct impact on communities in various regions. The workshop held on July 3, 2026 marked the start of the implementation phase of collaborative development towards a more inclusive and sustainable development.