Romnah, A Single Elderly Who Doesn’t Back Down

TASIKMALAYA (30 May 2022) - A hoarse whisper when Romnah (72) talked about the toughness of being a single elderly. Her hands occasionally wiped away the tears running down her face. 

It has been 10 years since her husband left her for Jakarta. There is no news until now as she is elderly. Since her husband left without a word, Romnah has worked hard to support her 3 children.

When her toughness begins to loosen, she would stay awake a third of the night. In silence, she rested her forehead on her shabby prayer rug.

For a long time, she prostrated, wishing to the Almighty. Her prayer full of sincerity raised her spirit.

Romnah starts her day by making traditional snacks. She usually sells the snacks around the village every 8 - 11 a.m.

Bugis and banana cakes, uli, sauteed rice vermicelli, gemblong and odading are some of the types of traditional snacks that she sold. Thanks to her mother, she is skillful at making these snacks. All she made herself in the kitchen which only measures 1 x 1.5 meters.

Romnah peddled her snacks on foot around Sukakarsa Village, Sukarame District, Tasikmalaya Regency. Now and then Romnah smiled, when she said that many of her customers owed her some snacks.

"It doesn’t matter as long as they pay for the snacks in time. Sometimes the customers will pay for it the next day,” said Romnah. 

Romnah who now has 13 children admitted that her business capital was initially only IDR 200,000. If in a day her snacks were sold out, she can get a profit of IDR 100,000. Some of the profit was saved by Romnah while the other was used for increasing her business capital. If there were leftovers for the snacks, she gives them to her children and grandchildren at home.

Once she ran out of capital. In addition to increasingly expensive ingredients, she also had to pay the wages of flour millers in the market. "I wish I could have a flour milling machine so that I don’t need to go to the market and grind flour," she said.

Coming home from selling the snacks, Romnah did the midday prayer. After that, she went back down the path to look for banana leaves. It took approximately 20 minutes to get to the banana plantation. She took enough leaves for 2-3 days.

Having lived in Sukakarsa Village for 15 years, Romnah lives in a house measuring 3 x 3.5 meters. The house, which she bought for IDR 1.5 million, is in the form of a stage house. There is a pond beneath the house filled with goldfish and tilapia. This fish can be harvested to be eaten with the family.

The house was made of planks and woven bamboo walls, usually called geribig. No wonder, if it rained, her heart was anxious. In addition to many leaking parts, she was afraid that the coconut trees around the house would fall on her fragile house because it was starting to get obsolete.

When the rain came, she felt upset. She just felt like she was fighting on her own. A sense of sadness often settles on her when her snacks are not sold because other sellers sell the traditional snacks early in the morning.

On the 26th National Elderly Day (HLUN) in 2022, Romnah became one of the recipients of social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs. ATENSI assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs provided in the form of flour grinding machines, and raw materials for traditional snacks such as wheat flour, black glutinous rice, white glutinous rice and others.

Romnah was one of MoSA’s assistance beneficiaries from a total of 326 elderly in Sukarame District. The total assistance provided in Sukarame District was IDR 388,561,900.

When she was asked about her motivation to keep selling traditional snacks in her old age, she answered that her enthusiasm has not been extinguished. She didn't want to trouble her children. For her, this was a part of her life, the way to enjoy old age as a single elderly. The Ministry of Social Affairs also facilitates the renovation of uninhabitable elderly homes, free cataract surgery, electronic identity card registration and blood donation activities.

The joy was also experienced by Rodiah (72). Rodiah who lives in Cipanunjang Village, Taraju District, Tasikmalaya now can be relieved. Her house is now more comfortable to live in.

The house that previously had bamboo walls and holes in some corners has now been replaced by neatly arranged brick walls. In addition, the house currently has new bedding and a set of kitchen furniture.

Rodiah became one of the recipients of the Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATENSI) of the Ministry of Social Affairs after previously undergoing a comprehensive assessment carried out by Social Worker officers from the "Satria" Center in Baturraden, the Ministry of Social Affairs, District Social Welfare Workers (TKSK) and officials from the Social Office of Taraju District.

The happiness was also felt by other elderly residents in Taraju District. Dioh (75 years) a resident of the village of Giantri and Mpud (68 years) resident of the village of Banyu Asin received wheelchairs. The wheelchair assistance was handed over directly by the Head of the "Satria" Center in Baturadden, Darmanto, at their respective residences on Saturday (28/5).

Public Relations Bureau

Ministry of Social Affairs