BANDUNG (March 7, 2025) - Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) emphasized the importance of community empowerment programs to accelerate poverty reduction. Of course, to realize this, Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) collaborates with various parties to build and maintain the community's hopes of escaping the poverty trap.

"We want this collaboration to reduce poverty and create jobs, those are the two main points," said Gus Ipul while reviewing warmindo (Indomie Food Stall) and ice cream business training in Cangkuang Wetan Village, Dayeuhkolot District, Bandung Regency, West Java, Friday (3/7/2025).

A total of 30 beneficiaries who have passed the assessment were given training and packages of warmindo and mobile ice cream business tools by MoSA.

Meanwhile, in the training process and provision of raw materials for their businesses, MoSA is supported by PT Indofood Sukses Makmur and PT Diamond Food Indonesia, which are engaged in related business fields, to make the empowerment program provided a success.

"For empowerment, of course, it is adjusted to the choices of the local community. On average, here they want to be sellers, by selling what they can. It turns out that the culinary and drinks that are sold. Trained first, after being trained, hopefully later they can sell well," said Gus Ipul.

In practice, Gus Ipul emphasized that in the follow-up process after providing training and business tools, his staff, together with the Cangkuang Wetan Village Government will provide assistance to each beneficiary.

"From the village, we want the assistance to be sustainable, not once I come here and then it's finished. I want this to be sustainable, not stopping here. The key is in the Village Head, I want this to be sustainable," he said.

In addition to empowerment in the economic sector, Gus Ipul also collaborates with academics from Pasundan University to manage waste, both non-organic and inorganic. The processing of waste can produce commodities with added value, such as gas, gasoline, and diesel, which can be processed into animal feed as well as fertilizer, and bricks. "This could become an energy and food independent village in the future, which of course will be part of the local economic cycle here," said Gus Ipul while reviewing the waste processing process in Cangkuang Wetan Village, Bandung Regency.

Gus Ipul hopes that this collaboration can boost the local economy so that it can reduce the number of poor people. "Later, the products will sell, the community can work, the economy will run," said Gus Ipul.

On this occasion, Melawati (33), a resident of Cingcin Village, Soreang District, Bandung Regency, was present. She is one of the recipients of the Family Hope Program (PKH) who successfully graduated in 2023. The mother of three has indeed had a spirit of entrepreneurship since 2021 by pioneering a seblak and meatball business in front of her house.

She then registered herself as a recipient of the empowerment program assistance from MoSA in 2023 and received assistance for business equipment in the form of a cart, complete with equipment. Melawati admitted that with the empowerment assistance from MoSA, she was able to boost her family's standard of living.

"After receiving assistance from MoSA, the economy has improved. Now I have 2 employees who are paid IDR75 thousand a day. Income is almost IDR6 million per month. Thank God, now I can give (empower the environment), no longer ask (as a recipient of social assistance)," said Melawati.

Melawati said that together with ten of her colleagues who had also graduated from PKH, she formed the Resilient Women's Business Group (Kuwatan). At the training moment, Melawati became an inspiring figure who was presented to inspire the enthusiasm of the training participants to be empowered and independent like herself.

One of the training participants, Hasanudin (26), a resident of Cangkuang Wetan Village, Dayeuhkolot District, Bandung Regency, admitted that he was very helped by the empowerment program from MoSA. Two months ago, he was laid off from his place of work as an online shop employee selling shoes and sandals. With the training and business tools that he received, Hasanudin has created a new job to make ends meet.

"I am happy to receive assistance from MoSA. I am very grateful. Hopefully, I will have branches and open other businesses," said Hasanudin.

Based on the information gathered, there are 5 extremely poor families with a total of 14 individuals in Cangkuang Wetan Village, Dayeuhkolot District, Bandung Regency. In this village, 239 families are receiving PKH with a total assistance value of IDR 173,175,000. Meanwhile, the recipients of the Basic Food Social Assistance are a total of 514 families with an assistance amount of IDR 308,400,000

Furthermore, at the Dayeuhkolot District level, Bandung Regency, a total of 39 extremely poor families with a total of 102 individuals were recorded. The recipients of PKH Social Assistance in this district reached 1,144 families with an assistance of IDR 794,150,000

Next, for the Basic Food Social Assistance, there are 2,429 recipient families with assistance of IDR 1,457,400,000.