Distributing Basic Food Social Assistance in Central Java, Director General of Social Rehabilitation Visits Scavenger Community

CENTRAL JAVA (July 8, 2020) - The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs continues to reach out to vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19 in several areas to receive basic social assistance (Bansos). This time, the distribution of aid was carried out in Lumpia City, namely Semarang, precisely at the Semarang Regency Regent's Office Hall and in Surakarta City to be precise at the Surakarta City Social Office.

The Ministry of Social Affairs through the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation distributed 974 basic necessities for the Central Java region. The basic food assistance will be distributed to several areas, namely 371 basic necessities for Semarang Regency, 118 basic necessities for Semarang City and 485 basic necessities for Surakarta City.

The Ministry of Social Affairs through the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation distributed 974 basic necessities for the Central Java region. The basic food assistance will be distributed to several areas, namely 371 basic necessities for Semarang Regency, 118 basic necessities for Semarang City and 485 basic necessities for Surakarta City.

"In this pandemic situation, the Ministry of Social Affairs is here to reduce the risk of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by distributing basic food assistance," said Harry. Harry added, as of July 7, 2020, there were 66,226 cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia. This is a worrying situation for him. "Our vigilance must be maintained. In the new normal era, it does not mean free (without masks, without maintaining distance and without maintaining hygiene), continue to follow the Health Protocols. Let's strengthen our belief in clean and healthy behavior," he said.

This basic food assistance is the result of budget refocusing in 5 Directorates in the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation, some of which are the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation of the Persons with Social Deviance Issues and Victims of Trafficking in Persons and the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.

This social assistance is given to vulnerable groups such as beggars, scavengers, former terrorist convicts, persons with disabilities and other displaced people who are assisted by the Social Welfare Institution (LKS) as a partner of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The LKS are LKS Rumah Pancasila, LKS Keramas, LKS Batang, LKS Lanterns and LKS Gaya Mahardika.

In his speech, the Regent of Semarang. Mundjirin expressed his hope. "Hopefully this basic food assistance can be useful for our brothers during this pandemic. Thank you Ministry of Social Affairs, Social Office and LKS who continue to build welfare for Beneficiaries," he said.

The head of the Surakarta City Social Office, Tamso, said the same thing. "Thanks to our residents for being given assistance. Hopefully it can be used as well as possible. This is a form of the Ministry of Social Affairs being present, always here to help," he said in the hall of the Surakarta City Social Office.

On this occasion, the Director General of Social Affairs also visited the scavenger community in the Bawen area, Semarang. The Director General of Social Affairs provided social assistance for basic necessities as well as dialogue with community members.

This location is a location for collectors of used goods such as cardboard and used paper. During the pandemic, said the Head of the Community, Kumedi Sarkim, many scavengers lost their income because many villages were closed. Scavengers find it difficult to find used goods.

The price of the scrap per kg is fluctuating, between Rp. 1,500 - 2,000 per kg determined by the paper recycling company. From this price, the scavengers can make a profit of only Rp. 200 per kg.

Ratri, one of the scavengers said that in a day she was able to get approximately 100 to 150 kg of junk in conditions before the COVID-19 pandemic. So the income per day is approximately Rp. 25 thousand.

"Hopefully tomorrow we will get social assistance again, so that we are in the spirit of looking for the money," said Ratri, a mother of 2 children whose husband had just died on June 22.

Empowerment in the community is one form of the implementation of Social Rehabilitation Assistance to eliminate the negative stigma of society towards scavengers. So far, said Kumedi, scavengers are not respected, considered like crazy people, dirty, beggars and even thieves.

In the future, the Director General of Social Rehabilitation wants scavengers to be independent and not discriminated against, not only as scavengers of used goods, but also to recycle cardboard and paper from scraps into items of economic value.

This activity was also attended by the Director of Social Rehabilitation of the Socially Impaired and Victims of Trafficking in Persons and their staff, the Head of the Disability Center "Prof. Dr. Soeharso" Surakarta, the Head of the Jakarta "Mulya Jaya" Center, the Head of the Social Office of Central Java Province, the Head of the Semarang Regency Social Office. and Head of City Social Office.