The Unbreakable Spirit of the Children of KPM PKH Hulu Sungai Selatan

HULU SUNGAI SELATAN (December 16th 2019) - "In the past, my parents' family used to say that dancing is useless and it could not make you successful. Moreover, every practice you always come home at night, it is not good for girls," said Annisa (16) with teary eyes.

This 12th grade student of SMKN 1 Kandangan, Hulu Sungai Selatan Regency (HSS) is one of the KPM PKH Outstanding children. His mother is the Beneficiary Family (KPM) of the Family Hope Program (PKH) which is distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Today, Monday (16/12), she attended a welcoming ceremony for the Cross Border Social Solidarity Expedition Team (LBKS) Lintas Banua Mobile.

Annisa received an award from the Ministry of Social Affairs for her persistence and passion in the art of dance, as well as inspiring other KPM PKH children to excel.

Apart from Annisa, Riyadi Saputra (14) and Misnawati (14) also received awards. Riyadi and his art team won the National Student Arts Festival and Competition (FLS2N) at the level of South Kalimantan Province. He then continued his achievements to represent South Kalimantan in a similar championship at the national level. Meanwhile, Misnawati won 3rd place in the 2019 HSS Regency Mathematics Subject Science Olympiad.

The awards for the three were presented in a welcoming ceremony for the Third Etape of the LBKS Expedition Team, at the HSS Field. The award certificate and prize in the form of savings money were handed over by the Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara through the Secretary of the Directorate General for the Poverty Handling (PFM), Nurul Farijati witnessed by the Governor of South Kalimantan, Sahbirin Noor and the Regent of HSS, Achmad Fikry.

"Initially, I often cried because my hobby of dancing was challenged. But I am grateful for my mother to allow it and Alhamdulillah, from dancing I can set aside money for her," said the third child of five siblings.

From a series of achievements in the field of dance, Annisa admitted that she was very impressed when she participated in the Nusantara Cultural Parade representing the South Kalimantan Province in Jakarta in 2019. At that time, her team won the first runner up.

"The event was held at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). It was my first time to that place. Really, an extraordinary experience," said the woman who studied dance at school since the fourth grade of this elementary school.

Head of the Vocational School Principal Work Deliberation (MKKS) in HSS Regency Arin Ika Puspitaningsih (39) said that in the last two years the students of SMKN 1 Kandangan continued to make achievements as representatives of South Kalimantan Province in the FLS2N event to the national level. Annisa is one of the teams that went to the national level festival.

"For the art of dance, HSS children are very prominent. In recent years, from the elementary, junior high, high school and vocational levels, they have always succeeded in representing South Kalimantan to the national level," she said proudly.

The principal of SMKN 1 Loksado HSS said that dance is the cultural root of the local community and has become a part of everyday life.

"These young talents are also supported by the local government, in this case the Regent of HSS. Moral and material support for children is very important so that they are motivated to go to various competitions at the national level," he explained.

Continue to School

Not much different from Annisa, Misnawati also experienced challenges from her family when she found out that she had dreams of continuing to school and making achievements.

"Many people say what school is for. Is it possible to be successful, how to pay the school fee. The condition of the parents is just barely (their economy)," said the third of six children.

Misnawati spends her time outside of school looking after her younger siblings and studying subjects at school. Math is one of his favorite subjects.

"I look after my younger brother because my mother sells cakes around. My father and brother take care of the ducks in the cage," she said.

For Misnawati, mediocre economic conditions are not an obstacle to achievement. The ridicule of people for their choice to continue to school actually motivates themselves. He is also grateful that his mother received PKH social assistance (bansos). The aid can be used to buy school supplies and uniforms.

"Alhamdulillah, there is PKH, so school needs can be taken from that money. So the money from selling the cakes can be used to meet our daily needs," he said.

In his message, the Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara said that the spirit of children to continue to excel must be supported. They are the young generation who will bring changes in their family life.

"So, the government is not just preparing work programs or social programs, but what is more important is how poverty is not transferred to the next generation," he said.

Furthermore, the Minister, who is familiarly called Ari, asked the community to support the Ministry of Social Affairs program in the field of community empowerment so that within a certain period of time underprivileged people can be economically empowered and independent.

"The Ministry of Social Affairs will continue to actively assist underprivileged people who wish to have a business. In the future, we have prepared economic empowerment programs and assistance for them," he said.

To note, PKH is a program of providing conditional social assistance to underprivileged families designated as KPM PKH. As a conditional social assistance program, PKH opens access for poor families, especially pregnant women and children, to take advantage of the various health service facilities (faskes) and educational service facilities (fasdik) available around them. PKH benefits have also begun to be encouraged to cover people with disabilities and the elderly by maintaining the level of social welfare in accordance with the mandate of the constitution.

Through PKH, underprivileged families are encouraged to have access to and take advantage of basic social services for health, education, food and nutrition, care and assistance, including access to various other social protection programs that are complementary programs on an ongoing basis. PKH is directed to become the epicenter and center of excellence for poverty alleviation that synergizes various national social protection and empowerment programs.

LBKS is one of a series of activities leading up to the peak commemoration of the 2019 National Social Solidarity Day (HKSN) which falls on December 20, 2019. The LBKS expedition team took six etape by relay starting from December 14th to 19th 2019 with the route of Tabalong Regency, Balangan Regency, Regency Hulu Sungai Selatan, Tapin Regency, Banjar Regency, and ends in Banjarmasin City. In the implementation of LBKS in 2019, the Ministry of Social Affairs presents Children with Achievement and KPM Graduation Prosperous Mandiri at every etape.