Social Empowerment Strategy through Social Entrepreneurship

BANDUNG (3 July 2020) - Director General of Social Empowerment Edi Suharto was a spaker in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Social Entrepreneurship Program at the Rectorate Building, 3rd floor of the Bandung Social Welfare Polytechnic (Poltekesos) Campus.

The FGD was attended by 14 participants consisting of the Chancellor and Lecturer of the Bandung Social Welfare Polytechnic. In his presentation, Edi Suharto said that the Entrepreneurship Program is a combination of trade and business with social issues, focusing on social change. There are 3 stages in Social Entrepreneurship. First, the provision of Business Capital Incentive Social Assistance (BSIMU) in the form of cash social assistance (Rp. 3.5 million) which is transferred to the BNI KPM PKH Graduation savings book. The money must be used as working capital which is given every 3 months and monitored by MiBi and TKSK. Second, Business Incubation Mentoring (MiBi). Third, social assistance by the District Social Welfare Personnel (TKSK).

The Director General of Social Empowerment added that social empowerment must have a well-planned and targeted branding.

"We must have Positioning, Differentiation and Branding. Positioning must be clear, so we must have Differentiation which will later arise Branding from social empowerment," explained Edi Suharto.

Suharna, a FGD participant from the Research Center for Social Entrepreneurship supports the Social Entrepreneurship program which is considered as one of the breakthroughs in the field of social empowerment.

"I strongly agree with the existence of this social entrepreneurship scheme. This planned, integrated, and gradual program is a new idea and should be like this," he said.

The Head of Social Work Study Program, Aep Rusmana, is of the opinion that the Social Entrepreneurship program has relevance to the study of graduation for Social Welfare Polytechnic students.

"I really appreciate it and it's very good. When we do business, we must look at opportunities, so that in the future it will be organized. And this will be relevant to graduation learning at this time," said Aep.

Also attending as FGD participants were Deputy Director I for Academic Affairs at Poltekesos Bandung, Head of Study Programs, Secretary of Study Programs, Head of Laboratory, Head of Research and Development of Poltekesos, Head of Center for Community Service, Head of Entrepreneurship Installation, Social Entrepreneurship Study Unit, and Social Entrepreneurship Service Unit.