Social Minister Risma Says Pena Program Successfully Prints 28,775 Poor People To Become Independent

Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini said that the Nusantara Economic Heroes (Pena) program managed to produce 28,775 poor people to become independent, so that they no longer receive social assistance., said that residents who received social assistance received business capital and training, packaging, marketing, financial literacy and assistance until their efforts were running smoothly and successfully.. "Because their efforts have been successful and economically able to be independent, thousands of pre-sept. people no longer receive social assistance or are graded from social assistance recipients," said Social Minister Risma.

In May 2024, said Risma, the Ministry of Social Affairs succeeded in reducing 3,415 beneficiary families. In 2023 10,073 KPMs were graded and in 2024 18,702 KPMs were successfully graded. "So, the total since the graduates in 2023 and 2024 as many as 28,775 KPM have been successfully graded. This means that they are free from poverty and no longer receive social assistance," said Social Minister Risma.

This number is far beyond the target for 2023-2024, which is as much as 16,000 KPM. Risma said, the graduation is the initial stage of product development.

Later, KPMs who have been graded will still get business development assistance, such as packaging development and product diversification. Assistance will continue to be carried out until KPM can be independent. The Pena program is a priority program of Social Minister Risma, because it has proven successful in increasing KPM income. Of the tens of thousands of KPMs, only 37 people have not succeeded in increasing their income. With continuous handling, his party is optimistic that all KPMs will succeed in increasing their income. Meanwhile, Pena recipients are divided into groups such as Pena Regular and Pena Berdikari who are recipients of PKH and basic necessities programs. There is also an Attention Pena group consisting of elderly, people with disabilities, victims of criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO), as well as vulnerable groups. Other groups are Pena Communities that have succeeded in reducing 1,822 KPM, Pena Disaster 52 KPM, and Pena Vocation 578 KPM. In addition to the group, he continued, the Ministry of Social Affairs is also targeting young people, children from KPM PKH who are elderly. This is to consider the conditions of KPM who are elderly. Young people are devoted to KPM PKH children aged 23-30 years, and other young people who meet the requirements.

Risma will also focus on poverty pockets in hard-to-reach archipelago areas.

Community approaches are chosen to facilitate the coaching process. "In the future, the Ministry of Social Affairs will carry out (applied the Pena program) in the community, especially those living in the archipelago," said Social Minister Risma. Several Community Pena programs that have been carried out by the Minister of Social Affairs, such as empowering fishermen's wives to be skilled in processing fish into new products, such as dry fish and fish abon.

He believes that Community Pena can release people from poverty so that they live independently economically.