From a Box of Rice : Hope Continues to Exist and the Elderly Can Smile

BREBES (August 11, 2023) - It is still 07.16 a.m., but Jaya Bersama Community Group (Pokmas) is already busy preparing dozens of rice boxes which will be delivered by two couriers to two different directions, north, and south, using motorbikes.

 In the kitchen measuring 10 x 7 square meters, since the beginning of last August every morning he has cooked and packed 96 rice boxes and sent them to 48 single beneficiaries (elderly) in the Village area, Kecipir, Losari District, Brebes Regency, Central Java.

Food processing is a Food Program from the Ministry of Social Affairs that is intended for the elderly and disabilities who live alone so that they can still get enough nutrition, even though they are no longer productive.

 The food program is felt by grandmother Rumiah (92), a resident of Limbangan Village, where she lives alone in a house that fits as a 4x3 meter hut with bamboo walls whose conditions are uninhabitable, with no room and a bathroom.  Sad indeed!

 “I am happy to have this food.  I hope anyone who sent it is always healthy," said the resident of RT 04 RW 04 slowly and heavily.  Considering her old age, Rumiah is accompanied by neighbors who often help her when she needs to put on adult sanitary pads or go to the toilet outside the house.

 Her neighbors told her that Rumiah had indeed lived alone for a long time to make ends meet relying on the mercy of the closest residents, who sincerely helped selflessly.

 The hot sun and hot air, typical of the North Coast of Java, make people more comfortable staying at home or taking shelter under a tree while avoiding flying dust that makes their eyes a little sore.  Conditions were exacerbated by no rain for the past two months.

Two couriers gasped their motorcycles north and south.  They no longer care about the hot sun because they are determined to send boxed rice to the elderly so they can smile, enjoy, and eat food for the morning and afternoon.  For them it is luxury!

 The emotional story of the elderly recipients was conveyed by two couriers to the Chairperson of Pokmas Jaya Bersama, Saimran (41) where he was assisted by 4 workers starting from shopping for materials to the market after dawning prayer, processing, cooking, packing to distribution to the elderly.

 “I feel called to help cook for the elderly who can't do anything anymore.  Initially, there was a PKH companion in the sub-district who offered me an offer and it just so happened that at my place there was also a catering business for company workers in Kecipir Village," said Saimran.

 Every day, the elderly receive ready-to-eat food twice worth IDR 30,000 with nutritional content consisting of rice, side dishes, vegetables, fruit, and mineral water.  So as not to get bored the menu also changes every day.

 "To maintain food hygiene, it is packaged in safe rice boxes and not in styrofoam which is delivered by the courier while it is still warm so that the recipient receives 2 boxes of rice in one delivery," he said.

 Saimran admits that it is not easy to find couriers who deliver food to the elderly, even though they still deliver food on Saturday and Sunday.  Even though in the early days it lasted a few days and there were always obstacles on the way.

 "To send ready-to-eat food to the elderly requires struggle.  One of the spearheads is the couriers who have to deliver even on Saturday-Sunday.  But thank God, the courier, who has only been there for a few days, was able to stop and help deliveries," he said.

 The food program is not just sending food, but fostering social solidarity in the community, especially for elderly and persons with disabilities.  In addition, entrepreneurship is also created because there is an economic cycle in the management of Pokmas.