POLEWALI MANDAR (3 July 2024) – Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini relocated a family who previously lived in a very simple hut near the edge of forest in Batetangga Village, Binuang District, Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi. The 2x3 meter hut had walls of tarpaulin and dried coconut leaves and was built on a cliff near forest, quite far from the settlement. The hut was inhabited by Marni (42) and her three children, aged 14, 12, and 4.

Minister Risma then bought a brick-walled house owned by a resident of Batetangnga and handed it over to Marni so that she and her three children could occupy it. “Before I came here, I asked my staff about a house we could buy for Marni’s family. It turned out there was one, so we made a transaction and handed it over to them straight away to be occupied,” said Minister Risma on Tuesday (2/7).

The life of Marni and her children was far from decent. After her divorce in 2020, Marni returned to her hometown with her children. Having lived with a relative, Marni chose to move out and build a hut on a hill at the forest's edge. The hut was about 20 meters from the village’s main road. The hut has no valuable furniture; the most luxurious item might have been the cooking pan, which was dented and blackened with soot. Marni and her children lived off the income of her oldest son, Abdul Marwan (14), who worked at an egg-laying chicken farm with wage of IDR 500,000 per month. Marni did odd jobs, earning merely IDR 20,000 monthly from selling the remaining chilies after the harvest.

Knowing the conditions of Marni’s family, Minister Risma purchased a 6x10 meter brick-walled house on approximately 320 square meters of land in the same village. In addition to housing assistance, the Ministry of Social Affairs provided basic needs, kitchenware, bedding, nutrition, and toys. MoSA also installed 28-watt Solar Public Street Lighting (PJUTS) for 8 points and a unit of 100-watt Solar House System. To support Marni’s economy, MoSA gave 20 egg-laying chickens with a cage and feed, 1,000 catfish seeds with a bio floc pool and feed, and horticultural crops, fertilizers, and farming tools.

“We are giving you egg-laying chickens. Please take care of them, and the eggs can be sold or used for consumption,” said Minister Risma, who also helped pack Marni's belongings to be moved to the new house. “The new house is nice. Thank you, Minister Risma,” said Marni, unable to hold back her tears of gratitude for the new house.

MoSa is currently seeking a solution for Marni’s children's education, which had been neglected. Marwan and his sister, Mirawati (12), were forced to leave school when they were in grades 4 and 3 of elementary school. Meanwhile, the youngest child, Muhammad Fadli (3), has not yet attended school. Minister Risma gave special attention to Marni’s children, emphasizing that education is crucial for their future.