This Former Rowing Athlete Uses BLT Cooking Oil for Anchovy Capital Funding

JAMBI (12 April 2022) - The drizzle since morning did not disturb Leni Haini's mood. Accompanied by her nephew on a motorbike, Leni Haini walked the city streets to Angso Duo Market, Jambi.

In this commercial center in Jambi City, a red and white tent has been prepared not far from the entrance to the front of the market. Together with dozens of other underprivileged residents, Leni sat in a row of chairs that had been prepared. Thursday last week, became a special day for the 45-year-old woman and about 99 other people.

President Joko Widodo was present to meet them, and symbolically handed over Cash Assistance (BLT) for Cooking Oil. "I brought my child's painting. I was going to show it to Mr Jokowi, but the officers are prohibited from doing it,” she said.

Even though she failed to show her child's painting, this 45-year-old woman still feels lucky. When passing in front of her, the President had time to say hello. The President asked what the BLT Cooking Oil received from the Ministry of Social Affairs would be used for.

"I said that the assistance is for capital funding. I still feel grateful because, during this pandemic, the business has not recovered, sir. Even though it is said that the rate of transmission of Covid-19 has started to decline," said Leni.

This mother of three children has just been registered as a beneficiary in the Family Hope Program (PKH) from the disability component. Pre-prosperous families can be registered as PKH beneficiaries if they meet the requirements. The family must have some components such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, school children, toddlers and pregnant women.

“My husband is registered as a PKH beneficiary. Unfortunately, my husband is sick, so I represent him,” said Leni, who lives in Legok Village, Danau Sipin District, Jambi. For several months, Leni's husband, Muhammad Ikhsan (46), was sick and could only lie down at home.

Practically, it was Leni who took over the crispy anchovy processing business that they had been managing. “Those small anchovies are packed, sir. The average packaging is 1 ounce for IDR 15,000. It is promoted online. There is no fixed revenue, sir. It can be up to 300 packs a week if it's in high demand," she said.

Leni admitted that she was a former national rowing athlete. She has tracked championships in various countries and won a lot of gold and silver medals. In the championships in Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore, she brought home the gold medal. What impressed Leni the most was when she won the gold medal in the international championship which was held in Melbourne, Australia in 1997.

Retiring as an athlete, Leni had to open her own business when her third child, Habibah, suffered from epidermolysis bullosa (EB) – a type of skin disorder that peels easily when exposed to heat.

“This means a lot, sir. Thank you for the government's assistance," she said.

BLT Cooking Oil reached the target of 20.65 million beneficiaries, namely 18.8 million BPNT beneficiaries and 1.85 million PKH beneficiaries outside BPNT recipients. The assistance is a buffer to help increase people's purchasing power amid rising prices entering the month of Ramadan and ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

Previously, President Joko Widodo ceremonially launched the BLT Cooking Oil program by handing over cash to the beneficiaries at the Angso Duo Market, Jambi, Thursday (7/4).

In the launch of the BLT Cooking Oil, 100 beneficiaries received assistance worth IDR 300.000/beneficiary. The President requested that the assistance be used for useful purposes, either for capital funding or buying basic needs including cooking oil whose prices are currently increasing.

The amount of BLT Cooking Oil assistance is Rp. 100,000 per month which is handed over at once for three months, namely April, May and June. With the assistance provided, people who meet the requirements will receive a total of IDR 300,000 in April 2022.

Public Relations Bureau

Ministry of Social Affairs