Independent Determination, KPM PKH: One Day "My Hands Have to be the Top"

Independent Determination, KPM PKH: One Day "My Hands Have to be the Top"
Writer :
Tutik Inayati
Editor :
Annisa YH
Translator :
Intan Qonita N

KARAWANG (March 30, 2021) - Receiving help is not always fun. For some people, being a recipient is actually considered something that doesn't need to be perpetuated. "Level up" to be the giver is necessary. This applies to one of the Family Beneficiaries (KPM) of the Family Hope Program (PKH) in Lewengkawung Village, Mekarmulya Village, West Jambe District, Karawang Regency, for example. Mintarsih, her name. This middle-aged woman has been a PKH participant since 2018.

Mintarsih tells the beginning of story as a recipient of conditional assistance from the government. She felt the benefits of IDR 900,000 aid she received every disbursement. "PKH aid money is disbursed every 3 months. Not bad for the needs of my toddler and my elementary school child," she said when met one afternoon in mid-March 2021, with her second child at the local village office.

Since then, Mintarsih continued, the PKH assistance money she regularly receives has been used for his two children's daily needs and schooling. She also admitted to depend on PKH assistance disbursement while she was not working. Her husband works odd jobs as a construction worker who earns IDR 50,000 per day. "Sometimes (the earning) exists, sometimes it's not," she said. Later, her husband was often sick.

Then, Mintarsih shared her feelings about wanting to leave PKH immediately. It seems that the saying "the hand above is better than the hand below" has stuck in her head. With teary eyes,s he said that 2021 would be a milestone for her to establish herself wanting to be independent soon. No longer dependent on conditional assistance from the government anymore. "I don't want to continue to receive help. One day I also have to be the upper hand, giving help," said the 37-year-old woman firmly.

The story then flows, reminiscing about the first time Mintarsih built a business selling a kitchen utensil product, making her teary eyes slowly shed tears. A moment later she stopped. She used a black veil on her head to wipe her wet cheeks. Her eyes wandered remembering her business in 2018 as a reseller of kitchen utensil products.

"In that year, the money I received was used to sell tupperware. It turned out to be insufficient," Mintarsih said. She paused her words and clasped his fingers, a sign that she was ready to continue the next story.

"Every time the aid goes down, I turn to this venture capital. Luckily, I can make snacks for my children little by little," said the mother of two. Little by little Mintarsih's face became cheerful again. Apparently she reaches the story when she was determined to build a business better than the PKH assistance capital.

"Until I finally found the MLM (Multi Level Marketing) business, one of the health products that I have been involved in until now," Mintarsih continued. Day to day, week to week, month to month. She consistently sells MLM products that she participates in, invites other members, and that's how the profits from her business started.

"Started joining in September 2019. Then the sales continued, the bonuses continued to increase. After almost a year, my income began to increase. I decided to leave PKH, now my turnover can reach IDR 30 million per month. All my dreams started to be achieved," She explained while holding the second daughter who sat beside him.

Mintarsih then added, "In fact, now I am introducing my business to other PKH recipients so they can immediately leave PKH like me." She admitted that the PKH assistant who supervised her had suggested to immediately graduate from PKH membership in 2020. "From the beginning, the assistant said that one day we must be independent," explained the woman who has worked as a female worker (TKW) abroad. .

It seems that Mintarsih's determination to be independent cannot be separated from the support of the PKH Social Assistance. It was Kiki Sudawartini who accompanied Mintarsih from the beginning of receiving the program until it was declared graduation. She admitted that the Family Capacity Building Meeting (P2K2) played a role in supporting PKH KPM for graduation. Moreover, one of the KPM assisted, Mintarsih, has successfully graduated.

P2K2 is done once a month. For Kiki, gathering KPM in one group is the moment she can 'doctrine' KPM to be independent. "Every time I do P2K2, I always emphasize to KPM women not to continue to depend on government assistance. Like Mrs. Mintarsih, she has declared her resignation in December 2020 and officially left PKH participation in January 2021," said the veiled woman.

"We have to think that it is impossible for us to be the 'hands below' who continue to receive. One day we have to be the 'hands up'," Kiki repeated in her regular meetings with the KPM she assisted.
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