Minister of Social Affairs Asks KAT Program to Strengthen Local Wisdom

SAROLANGUN (October 14, 2019) - Minister of Social Affairs Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita encourages capacity building for residents of Remote Indigenous Communities (KAT).  However, in line with that, it should also preserve local wisdom.

"Empowering KAT residents through providing skills, knowledge, and strengthening capacity remains important.  However, strengthening local wisdom must also be maintained," said the Minister, in Jambi, Monday (10/14/2019).

The Minister of Social Affairs was present to inaugurate the "KAT Empowerment Storefront Location Through the Synergy of the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry Community Development Program", at the Pematang Kolim KAT location, Gurun Tuo Village, Mandiangin District, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi Province.

Accompanying the Minister were Director General of Social Empowerment Pepen Nazaruddin, Director General of Social Rehabilitation Edi Suharto, and Special Staff of the Minister of Social Affairs. Present from the host, Jambi Governor Fachrori Umar, Sarolangun Regent Cek Endra, and related local government elements, SAD Temenggung (Traditional Leaders), and KAT residents of Gurun Tuo Village.

In his remarks, the Minister of Social Affairs added, in the midst of technological advances, said. Minister of Social Affairs, local wisdom is often considered as obsolete goods, or useless. The swift foreign influence in this era of globalization, said the Minister, local wisdom is considered as something that is not good.

"Whereas globalization does not always bring positive impacts, many also bring values that are different from the values we are used to.  However, we should not avoid change as long as it holds good and beneficial," said the Minister.

The Minister invited the community, including Jambi residents, to be good at anticipating changes. "Don't be an exclusive citizen," said the Minister.

To deal with change, said the Minister, local wisdom acts as values, guidelines, an identity that counteracts the negative influence of globalization.

For this reason, the Minister hopes that all parties, especially local governments, will formulate policies that strengthen the growth and development of local wisdom.

On that occasion, the handover of KAT facilities and infrastructure from the Petrochina International Jabung Ltd CSR Program under the coordination of SKK Migas was also carried out. The total value of assistance amounted to IDR 1,233,981,000.

The details are the construction of clean water facilities and communal toilets in two locations, namely Pematang Kolim KAT Location, Gurun Tuo Village and Surian River KAT Location, Pulau Lintang Village, Sarolangun Regency worth IDR 316,690,000.

Construction of a play-learning center and SAD health service center in Punti Kayu I, Bukit Suban Village, Sarolangun Regency worth IDR 347,049,000. Then sustainable livelihood training for 34 SAD families in Pematang Kolim, Gurun Tuo Village, Sarolangun Regency amounting to IDR 198,787,000.

Sustainable livelihood training was carried out in March 2019, with an emphasis on cognitive understanding, national insight, rights and obligations as citizens, assimilation with the surrounding environment, market identification and MPA).

MPA is provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs to accelerate the independence of KAT residents. In this program, residents are given training through export quality catfish cultivation, Javanese goats and joper chickens. "With this assistance, it is hoped that KAT residents will also be able to manage their livelihoods so that they can be economically independent," said Pepen Nazaruddin.

Pepen added, the KAT population in Indonesia based on the 2017 KAT database by the Regional Government amounted to around 150,000 households. However, only around 6,288 families (4.2%) have received empowerment programs from the Ministry of Social Affairs' KAT Program. "They are spread across 22 provinces, 51 regencies, 65 districts, 74 villages and 92 locations. Meanwhile, around 141,775 families (94.4%) have not received an empowerment program," Pepen added.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, said Pepen, has long sought to provide social services for remote indigenous communities in the form of assistance, skills training, provision of stimulants, environmental arrangement and strengthening social harmony.

The provision of support for the empowerment of KAT residents, said Pepen, is not limited to being interpreted in the context of developing physical facilities, in the form of delivery of facilities and infrastructure.

"With this program, we hope that there will be changes in attitudes, behaviors, and values while still utilizing and maintaining local wisdom values," he said.

Acting Head of Public Relations Bureau RI Ministry of Social Affairs

Sonny W. Manalu