PKH Elderly Garden Successfully Meets Food Security During the Pandemic

JAKARTA (31 May 2021) – During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beneficiary Families (KPM) of the Family Hope Program (PKH) for the elderly in Gondangrawe Village, Andong District, Boyolali Regency ensure that their food and nutritional needs are met from the harvest. PKH Elderly Gardens.

The PKH Elderly farm entered the harvest period after as many as 50 kg of long beans, 100 bunches of kale, 3 kg of green eggplant and 4 kg of purple eggplant, and 8 kg of red onions were ready to be picked. The garden yields are still intended to meet the needs of the KPM, especially the elderly KPM who manage the garden independently.

"Our initial intention was for food security, for PKH KPM consumption, especially the elderly, and it has not been sold yet," said Boyolali PKH Assistant, Danik Haryanti Ningrum Sapitri, by telephone, Wednesday (26/5).

The PKH Elderly garden with an area of ​​1,500 square meters is a land grant from the Gondangrawe Village Government given to KPM PKH Elderly to be planted with various kinds of plants, especially vegetables.

"Elderly gardens are on village-owned land, rather than being idle and overgrown with bushes, it is better for PKH," said Gondangrawe Village Head, Andong District, Boyolali Regency, Paeran.

The land, said Paeran, was not granted absolutely, but only as a right of use and would be returned to the village government when needed.

“On loan and use rights, the land still belongs to the village government. If it is used at any time, it must be returned to the way it was before," he said.

The garden is planted with kale, long beans, tomatoes, chilies, mustard greens, red ginger, cucumber, bitter melon, gambas, green and purple eggplant, and shallots.

During a pandemic, KPMs are required to save on expenses and garden yields have a direct impact on savings on the expenditures of each KPM.

"Obviously, it can help (KPM Elderly) to meet their kitchen needs, so (they) don't have to shop to cook vegetables," said Danik with a happy expression.

Furthermore, he deliberately chose vegetables that were easy to grow and quickly harvested, such as long beans and kale.