Ministry of Social Affairs Continues Food Assistance Program, Reaching 100,000 Elderly Living Alone and 33,000 Persons with Disabilities

JAKARTA (June 25, 2023) - Data shows that many elderly and persons with disability live alone in various regions of the country. They are vulnerable to experience abandonment, hunger, alienation, and even passing away without anyone aware of their death.

Food program is one of Social Affairs Minister, Tri Rismaharini's breakthrough as the effort to poverty reduction and social protection. Ministry of Social Affairs has designated 100,000 elderly living alone throughout the country to get food assistance in 2023.

“The food program is relatively new as it was only implemented in 2022 and continued in 2023. This food is delivered directly to the recipients with a menu that meets the nutrition of the elderly/ persons with disability,” Director General of Social Rehabilitation, Pepen Nazaruddin said when giving directions at the Salemba 28 Forum at the Ministry of Social Affairs Office on Friday (23/06).

Salemba 28 Forum is a forum for discussion and a communication to connect the Ministry of Social Affairs and with the media. On that occasion, the discussion raised the theme “Sustainability of the Food Program for Elderly Living Alone and Persons with Disabilities”.

Present on this occasion, the Secretary of the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation Salahuddin Yahya, Social Counselor Director of Social Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities Fery Afriyanto, and the DKI Jakarta Community Group. Also present were representatives of 20 media who actively partnered in reporting Ministry of Social Affairs.

In another part of his statement, Pepen emphasized, that the program is for the fulfilment of nutritional needs of elderly living alone and persons with disabilities which in line with the Ministry of Social Affairs priority which is fulfilling the basic needs of vulnerable groups, such as elderly living alone and person with disabilities.

Through this food program, the elderly and person with disabilities will get the nutritional needs of food twice a day consists of rice/other types of staple food, side dishes (animals protein/plants protein), vegetables, fruit and mineral water.

"The importance of this event is to establish cooperation between the media and the Ministry of Social Affairs because they have the same goal, Alleviating poverty," said Pepen.

To support this program, the Ministry of Social Affairs has prepared a budget of IDR 787,661,312,000,- with a target of 100,000 people for food elderly food program and 33,774 for persons with disability food program.

"In addition to fulfill nutritional needs, this program is hoped to be able to reduce food expenditure rates for the elderly and persons with disability," said Pepen.

The recipients of food for the elderly and persons with disability are poor and underprivileged people whose NIK has been registered in the DTKS. As for the elderly minimum age of 75 years or more.

On the same occasion, Salahuddin Yahya stated that the Food program also aims to encourage and increase solidarity and community service by mobilizing community groups in its implementation.

"In parallel, this program provides more benefits, it is not only delivering food, but also growing social solidarity because the community can embrace neighbors who are elderly/disabled, and fosters entrepreneurship because there is an economic turnaround on in the community groups," said Yahya.

One of the representatives of the DKI Jakarta Community Group (Pokmas) Meiti, explained that in 2022 in Jakarta, food program will be implemented by embracing jumantik and dasawisma which will reach 5 sub-districts.

“From each sub-district there are representatives who delivers the food. Shopping is done at night, and cooking starts at 3 in the morning so it can be distributed around 9," she said.

With the implementation of the Salemba 28 Forum, it is hoped that it will be able to socialize and provide literacy and education to the community about programs and policies of the Ministry of Social Affairs through the mass media.