"Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center Reaches the Outer Islands of North Kalimantan

BUNYU ISLAND, BULUNGAN (April 9, 2021) - The Ministry of Social Affairs through the "Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center in Gowa provided basic needs assistance to 3 elderly victims of movable land in Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan.

Previously, due to the relatively high and continuous intensity of rainfall in the first week of March, there was ground movement in the West Bunyu Village area, Bunyu District, Bulungan Regency. The movement of the soil caused 9 housing units to be damaged and the road level in the village to drop.

Responding to reports from the North Kalimantan Disaster Voluntary Workers (TAGANA), the Ministry of Social Affairs through the "Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center in Gowa dispatched an emergency team to the disaster site. This was carried out in accordance with the direction of the Minister of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Tri Rismaharini that the Balai Besar/Balai/Loka must respond quickly to social problems that occur.

The Balai emergency team was accompanied by the District Social Welfare Worker (TKSK) in conducting an assessment of the needs of the elderly and obtained data on 7 units of houses that were heavily damaged, 2 units of houses lightly damaged with 36 victims affected from 10 heads of families. Of the total victims, four of them were elderly. The team managed to meet all the elderly victims and one of them was an elderly married couple.

Then based on the needs assessment during the visit, groceries, and basic needs are the main needs for victims. This is in line with Naharuddin's initial report, TKSK Bunyu, which said, "All the victims of this mobile land most needs rice, cooking oil, sugar, coffee, tea, and other fast food.

Accompanied by Bunyu sub-district staff, Bunyu Barat village, and the head of the RT, assistance to meet basic needs was distributed to 3 elderly people, namely Leman, Warlia, and Kusmiati.

"Together with social rehabilitation assistants, the "Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center in Gowa is involved directly on the outermost island of North Kalimantan Province to provide protection for elderly victims of the moving land disaster," said Adam, the Center social worker.

The current focus of the services of the "Gau Mabaji" Elderly Center in Gowa is to reach the elderly in the outermost areas which are in the ten areas of the Center's work coverage. This is a form of attention from the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs in providing optimal social rehabilitation services for all elderly people in Indonesia without exception.