Ministry of Social Affairs Visits Trash Pickers Community Villages and Distributes Assistance

BEKASI (May 6th, 2020) – The Director General of Social Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Harry Hikmat, visited several villages of trash pickers community in Bekasi and Jakarta, which are fostered by the Social Welfare Institution (LKS). This visit is to ensure the condition of neglected people affected by COVID-19 and to distribute social assistance from Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) as a partner of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

As of today (6/5) based on the latest data from the DKI Jakarta Health Office, 4,709 positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in DKI Jakarta. Out of the total of the data, 713 people were declared recovered, 420 people died, and 3,576 others are still undergoing treatment. Therefore, the Ministry of Social Affairs continues to make efforts to handle COVID-19 through social assistance and the provision of Temporary Shelters (TPS).

Following the instruction of the Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara, to provide TPS for street children, homeless people, and beggars, as well as other Beneficiaries affected by COVID-19, the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation has made several approaches to handle neglected people, one of which is the community approach to avoid overcapacity at the TPS.

The Director General of Social Rehabilitation visited several community villages which until now had not received social assistance (bansos) yet due to population administration problems. “There are several areas whose data is not registered, so I checked directly,” said the Director General of Social Rehabilitation.

Most of them do not have a population administration such as a National Identity Number (NIK) so it is difficult to get assistance. “The Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara, said that the data of the beneficiaries are not only from the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) owned by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Apart from the DTKS, it can also be proposed, the important thing is that the community is helped,” said the Director General of Social Rehabilitation.

This visit also held the handover of social assistance from BRI in the form of basic food packages consisting of rice, cooking oil, sugar, biscuits, tea, egg noodles, and sweetened condensed milk. Moreover, residents are also given medical equipment such as hand sanitizers and masks.

The first location visited was the Balarenik Shelter House/Trash Picker Center, Kampung Sawah RT 004/05 Bintara Jaya Village, Bekasi. The Director General of Social Rehabilitation handed over 25 basic food packages from BRI. This house has sheltered trash pickers around the Bintara Jaya area, Bekasi.

The second location visited was Kampung Rawadas Pondok Kopi, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, which was fostered by the Bee Entertainment Religious Education Foundation (ERBE) led by Abdul Rohim. The Director General of Social Rehabilitation also handed over 25 basic food packages. This visit was also attended by representatives from the East Jakarta Social Service Office.

The third location, Sumur Village, Klender, Duren Sawit District, East Jakarta, fostered by the Swara Peduli Foundation, led by Endang Mintarja. The Director General of Social Rehabilitation also handed over the assistance which are 25 basic food packages from BRI.

This trash picker community will be the target of handling by the Ministry of Social Affairs through LKS with a community approach, which is strengthening families directly at the community locations through LKS. Apart from strengthening families, educational interventions and social assistance will also be conducted in the community.

The education is in the form of knowledge about the dangers of COVID-19, prevention from its transmission, to government policies to stay at home in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In addition to a community approach, a TPS-based approach is also provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs for neglected people such as homeless people who are in public spaces and are affected by COVID-19. Several TPS have been prepared in collaboration with the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta, which are Karet Tengsin Sports Center in Central Jakarta, Cengkareng Sports Center in West Jakarta, Ciracas Sports Center in East Jakarta, Tanjung Priok Sports Center in North Jakarta, and Pasar Minggu Sports Center in South Jakarta.

For residents who need special care such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Social Affairs provides a Social Rehabilitation Center as a TPS, namely Jakarta “Mulya Jaya” Center, Jakarta “Handayani” Children’s Center, Jakarta “Bambu Apus” Drugs Center, Bekasi “Budhi Dharma” Elderly Center, Bekasi “Tan Miyat” Center for Persons with Visual Disabilities, as well as Bekasi “Pangudi Luhur” Center for Ex-Homeless and Beggar Center.

As of May 6th, 2020, the TPS managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has served as many as 957 PMs; 597 PMs have returned to their family, 125 PMs were referred to a nursing home/center/LKS/health facilities, 42 PMs left the place without notice and 193 PMs still live in Sports Centers and Halls.

Based on gender, 193 PMs who are still in the Sports Centers and Halls consist of 149 male PMs and 44 female PMs. On the other hand, based on age, 8 PMs are under 18 years old and 185 PMs are over 18 years old.

This visit was also attended by the Director of Social Rehabilitation for the Elderly, Sub-Directorate of Children, the Head of Sub-Directorate of Homeless People and Beggars, the Head of General Division of the Secretariat of the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation, the Organization, Law, and Public Relations team of the Secretariat of the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation, representatives of the Directorate of Social Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities and the Head of the East Jakarta Office.